A Hero's Redemption
by Wesash
Summary: AU. After his loss in the Sinnoh League, Ash decides to take time alone to strengthen himself and put a halt to his journeys. As he returns to Kanto years later, he discovers new posing threats that will test his efforts of becoming the trainer he's always wanted to be. Smart/Mature Ash. Contains Altoshipping
1. Chapter 1

**Hello readers! This is the first story I've ever published on this site, so I hope you enjoy it. ****Feel free to leave your thoughts/comments in the reviews, and be sure to follow/favorite because this is going to be one heck of a ride!**

**This chapter is based off of what happens in the anime, but there are a few adjustments and changes I've made to the canon show.**

**Fair warning: Ash will be OOC later on, but I'll keep some of his character aspects relatively the same.**

**Some additional comments will be in the end of the chapter.**

**Also, special thanks to The Great Gonzales for taking the time to Beta-read for me. **

_"Italicized words in quotes" = Pokespeech or Telepathy_

'Single quotations' = Thoughts

* * *

A Hero's Redemption

**_Chapter 1_**

* * *

On the midst of the battlefield were two Pokemon, clearly exhausted by their intent to please their respective trainers. They couldn't let them down; after all this was it. The Sinnoh League. This was where things really began to matter. Now, currently in the semi-finals, only four trainers remained, only one was to come out with the Lily of the Valley Championship Trophy. Very quickly, a command was yelled across the field.

"Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!"

Almost immediately after, another command was yelled from the other side, not backing down from his opponent in the slightest. "Latios, Luster Purge!"

A light purple beam was soon emitted from the Legendary Pokemon and was launched straight at Pikachu, who was coming in at a rapid speed, crashing right through the powerful attack. At this point, Ash Ketchum was becoming extremely anxious. He knew he was at a huge disadvantage battling against a Legendary Pokemon, let alone only having Pikachu left while his opponent still had four of his Pokemon, which still remained unused throughout the entire conference. He still had a small feeling of hope that there was a way for him to pull through, even if all odds were against him.

As Pikachu was nearing the Latios in his Volt Tackle, Ash yelled, taking his final chance. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's obediently complied, his tail glowing a bright white and colliding with the last bit of Latios' attack, resulting in an explosion.

The explosion swept through the entire stadium, covering the activity of the battlefield, and blinding the audience from the final outcome of the match.

With a few long moments passing by, followed by complete silence, the referee raised his flag. "Pikachu and Latios are both unable to battle! All six of Ash's Pokemon have been eliminated, so moving on to the finals is Tobias the Victor!"

Ash was beyond shocked upon hearing the end result. He had lost. This had been the closest he had ever been in a League, yet he blew it. He wasted no time in running onto the battlefield to check the condition of his Pikachu. Tobias, on the other hand, simply returned Latios to its ball, and walked over to meet up with Ash.

"So he really lost," Dawn remarked sadly. Barry nodded remorsefully. "He battled so hard too," he added, also saddened by the loss of his rival.

"True, but Ash did amazing!" Brock optimistically stated. "This is the first time he's ever made it to the top four."

Both Barry and Dawn smiled upon hearing that, glad to hear Brock's positive outlook.

* * *

"That was a good match, Ash," Tobias said as he walked over to the raven haired boy. "Thank you."

Ash, in return, gave a short sad smile, still beat up over his loss. He nodded, "I learned a lot from that, Tobias. Thank you, and good luck in the finals." Pikachu gave a happy, yet slightly weakened _"Pika!"_ in agreement to his trainer.

The two briefly exchanged a handshake and went their separate ways, exiting from the stadium.

As Ash entered a lobby-styled room, he was greeted with several people who each individually congratulated him in his hard battling and at having come so far in the competition. Ash was happy to hear all of the praise, but he still couldn't get over the fact at how close he was to reaching the finals. Pikachu, now currently in his arms, was able to sense the emotions of its trainer, having known him for such a while.

_"Pika Pi,"_ Pikachu said, looking up at the boy.

"I'm fine, Pikachu," Ash tried to assure his companion, followed with a rather fake smile Pikachu could easily see through. Even with Pikachu making a few goofy faces, it didn't seem to cause much effect on the boy's expression, but Ash was still grateful for Pikachu trying to cheer him up.

Ash took an open seat in the middle of the lobby, waiting patiently for his friends to meet up with him. And eventually he saw Brock, followed by Dawn coming through the double doors in the front, which led to the stadium.

"Hey guys," Ash smiled up at them as they approached.

"Hey Ash," Brock replied. "That was a great battle out there. You should be proud of yourself."

Dawn nodded in agreement. "You were able to eliminate two of Tobias' Pokemon, while nobody else was even able to get through one."

"Thanks guys, that means a lot," Ash simply stated, not being able to maintain eye contact with the two. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It doesn't really feel like a whole lot to only knock out two of someone's Pokemon."

"Ash, we're talking in terms of Legendaries here. Knocking out not one, but two when nobody in the entire competition was able to is a major accomplishment if I say so myself," Brock reassured, attempting to boast the boy a little. Pikachu as well as Dawn both agreed, but were still unsatisfied with Ash's depressed sigh, as he rested his hands on his fists.

"But this always seems to happen to me. In every competition, I get reasonably far only to wind up losing in the end. I do all of this training but none of it seems to be helping me out much."

Brock cut in soon after. He couldn't believe his friend was talking like this, let alone thinking all of his hard work wasn't heading anywhere. "Ash, believe me. We've been friends for a long time, and I can honestly say, you've grown a lot during your journeys. Your battles and strategies have gotten increasingly better and each time in these competitions you get closer and closer. Just imagine what you could be in a few years time. After all, you can't expect to be a Pokemon Master overnight."

Ash chuckled a bit. He knew all that Brock was saying was the truth, and he was glad he had such great friends to support him whenever he was feeling down. "I guess you're right, Brock."

"When am I ever wrong?" Brock smirked as he crossed his arms, causing Dawn to roll her eyes. "Oh please."

Ash and Pikachu giggled a bit, earning a frown from Brock. "Hey!"

"It does have some truth to it," The boy said.

Brock sighed in return, but his mini frustration didn't last so long when he finally saw Ash smiling. He was glad his friend's mind was taken off of the match, even if it was only momentarily.

"I guess we better get going, then, right Pikachu?" Ash asked, looking down at the Pokemon in his lap.

With confidence, Pikachu gave his trainer a loud, "Pika!"

"...Wait a minute," Ash began, looking around at the rather crowded room. "Where did Barry go? Wasn't he with you guys?"

The blue haired coordinator shrugged. "He left in a hurry as soon as the match was over. Didn't really say where he was going."

Ash chuckled in response. "I guess some things just never change with him."

* * *

A little while later, the trio headed out of the Conference, and began to make their way on board to the ship to Canalave City, which was the just near Twinleaf. That was where they would each go their separate ways. It was a sad thought to think, and the three would surely miss one another, but they each had their own families and dreams to go to. It was becoming late at night, and the three of them were now at the pier where they were just about to head onto the boat. As soon as they had checked in at the front desk, they made their way to their single room, large enough for the three of them with two bunk beds and another single bed on the other side of the room.

They had each gotten changed into their sleepwear and retired for the night. Ash and Brock each took a bunk of the bunk bed, while Dawn took the other single bed, along with Piplup.

"What a long day, huh, Pikachu?" Ash said quietly as he had gotten himself underneath the covers. "I really did think we would've won today."

_"Pika...Cha..."_ Pikachu yawned, curling up into a ball close to Ash.

Ash smiled, remembering all of Pikachu's hard efforts in their battle today. His mind began to drift back to the Conference, and every move that he as well as Tobias had made. He began to think a little bit deeper into their battle, mentally pointing out where they had shown weaknesses and where they were able to pinpoint good hits on their opponent. Eventually though, Ash's eyes began to grow heavy with weariness, and he eventually drifted off into sleep.

* * *

The next day came around quick, the sun was shining bright through their windows. Brock, usually the first to wake up in the group, went over to peek through the window to witness the sight of buildings and structures. They were finally there. Just as he was about wake everyone up, the captain of the ship had called over the intercom and notified all of the passengers that they had arrived at Canalave City, and to wish everyone a safe time traveling.

Dawn steadily rose from her bed, along with Piplup and Pikachu. Everyone then eyed Ash who was still in bed, snoring lightly and completely oblivious to their arrival.

Brock sighed. "Pikachu will you do the honors?"

Pikachu grinned, knowing his method to wake his trainer was the most effective. He turned over to Ash, charged up electricity, and electrocuted him with a light Thundershock. It wasn't a powerful one, but it was just the right amount to get him up in a heartbeat.

"Wah!" Ash exclaimed as he went wide eyed, his hair shooting in all directions like a mad scientist. Some steam soon emerged from the tips.

"Do you really have to keep doing that?" Ash grumbled, not at all happy at waking up from his peaceful slumber.

Brock nodded. "It's the only foolproof way to get you up," He said, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. "We're at Canalave City."

Ash rolled out of bed and began to get ready followed by Dawn who was doing the same. They each packed their stuff and were now leaving their room.

Soon after departing the boat, they had begun to journey their way in the direction of Twinleaf Town.

* * *

After a few hours of traveling by foot, the trio had finally came close to Twinleaf Town. They began to see the hill which gave an entire view of the small town, and just before, came across a sign with a bunch of arrows pointing in different directions which showed the ways to various locations.

"Well...this is it," Brock simply stated, earning "Yeah's" from the rest of the group.

"I'm going to miss you guys," Dawn began to tear up a little. She had been dreading this moment for a while now. Ash and Brock were such good friends to her, and now here she was, leaving the both of them.

The guys, noticing her tears, felt sorry for her, and each individually brought her in for a confronting hug.

"We'll all see each other again, Dawn. No need to worry!" Ash smiled, giving a reassuring thumbs up.

Dawn smiled, and the two exchanged their final high five together, Brock and Ash then wishing her good lucks in the future.

Piplup and Pikachu even did a little high five before the group went their separate ways. Dawn turned to her hometown, while Brock and Ash began turning in the opposite direction and on their way to Kanto.

* * *

After days of both Ash and Brock traveling, they were finally back in their hometown, Kanto. "Whew, it feels good to finally be back in Kanto," Ash remarked, stretching his arms, and walking along the dirt path.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to finally being able to see my family again," Brock responded, but then asked. "So Ash, what are you planning to do after you've settled down and everything? Going to another region?"

Ash contemplated his question for a few moments before giving his response. "I've been thinking...and I've decided I want to take some time off from traveling and spend more time dedicated to training and making myself and my Pokemon stronger. My battle with Tobias really showed me what I needed to work on as a trainer."

Brock was a little taken aback by the ten year old's answer. Was he really deciding to take a break from his journeys? "Wow Ash, Brock replied. "I wouldn't ever suspect you would decide to do something like that. Are you sure you don't mind missing out on your journeys?"

"Yeah," Ash spoke, this time more confidently. "I've been thinking about it and that's what I'm deciding to do. I'm not quitting my journeys, but I think it would really help if I took some time to train myself."

Brock nodded. "If that's what you think is best."

By this time, the two reached the next intersection of the roads. One of the arrows on the sign pointed towards Pallet and another in the direction of Pewter City.

Ash and Brock both grinned, shook hands and shared their goodbyes, knowing they'll meet again someday.

"See ya later Pokemon Doctor," Ash said with Pikachu giving a "Pika!" countered with "See ya later Pokemon Master," from Brock.

The two departed and left one another in the directions of their own hometowns.

* * *

Ash began to make his way back to Pallet Town, still in the forest, but coming closer and closer to his Town. "Finally! Almost back home at Pallet! I can almost smell mom's cooking!"

Pikachu laughed nervously. His trainer sure did have quite the appetite, especially upon their returns from their journeys.

..."You poor and useless excuse for a Pokemon!" A random voice shouted. It was so sudden that the duo stopped dead in their footsteps. "Huh?"

This immediately caught the boy's attention, as he looked in every direction to locate where it had been coming from.

"Pikachu, do you think you can track it?" Ash glanced over at his companion.

Pikachu eagerly nodded, leaping from his trainer's shoulder and running in a direction to which Ash followed closely behind.

The voice continued to shout, the insults coming clearer and clearer, and it seemed to be directed towards a Pokemon, given the context from all of the yelling.

Pikachu eventually halted, to which Ash stopped dead in his tracks as well to see a rather large, muscular man berating a small Pokemon currently in tears, sitting on the ground helplessly.

Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing! What was this guy even thinking? He thought Paul's treatment of Pokemon were bad, but seeing this was taking it to a whole new level.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing! Ash shouted, causing the man to freeze and turn back to face the boy.

This man was quite built, standing almost a foot above Ash, and had dark blonde hair and a black muscle shirt with a pair of camo pants. He was overall pretty intimidating and definitely capable of making any kid Ash's age run in fear. Ash, however wasn't going to back down.

"Mind your own business kid," The man snarled, before turning his back to the boy. He didn't think the kid would pursue him, but he was most definitely wrong. He looked over at his Pokemon on the ground, a Riolu, which had its eyes shut, afraid for what its trainer was going to do next.

"No!" Ash retaliated, not dropping the subject. "Leave your Riolu alone now!"

The man was growing irritated by the growing second. "Alright kid, you asked for it!" And he hurled a Pokeball right in front of Ash.

The red and white ball flew through the air and opened to reveal a bright white light, taking the shape of a figure.

_"Machoke!"_ The fighting type yelled out.

"Pikachu, I'm counting on you!" Ash shouted. Pikachu, already in battle stance awaited its command, but the blonde haired man beat Ash to the first move.

"Machoke, Karate Chop!"

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"Ash countered. He was **not **going to lose this.

Pikachu, shortly after, jumped to avoid the Karate Chop to the ground and swiftly charged a powerful Thunderbolt attack and launched it straight at Machoke, who began to noticeably wince from the pain of the electric move.

"Machoke, hurry! Dynamic Punch!"

"Volt Tackle, now Pikachu!" Ash fiercely ordered.

The two Pokemon eventually collided. Machoke's fist came into contact with Pikachu, who was covered in a yellow sheet of electricity.

Both trainers waited, hearts beating, and Riolu watching, only a few feet away from the large man.

From the heavy collision, Pikachu was sent flying back, but landed safely on its four feet. This led the man to growl, and sooner or later, the cloud of smoke disappeared to reveal Machoke lying facedown in the dirt.

Ash let out a sigh of relief at this. In response, the man quickly returned his fainted Pokemon and ran off, not even looking back at the scene behind him.

"Hey! I'm not done with you!" Ash called after. It was no use however. The man didn't spare a second glance, and continued his way away from his Riolu and Ash.

Noticing the Riolu once again, sitting down, and fearing him and Pikachu, Ash got down on one knee to meet his eyes with the Pokemon.

"It's alright, buddy. You're safe with us now," Ash said caringly.

Riolu looked up at Ash, not sure whether he was trustworthy or not, but he did save his life after all. His former trainer was crazy. He had no way of knowing what kind of things could've happened to him. He was done with the abuse.

Riolu began to wince a bit from the pain he was feeling. Scratches and a few bruises were evident across his body, and he found it hard to stand up.

Ash knew he had to get help immediately. "Come on Pikachu, we're gonna get Riolu help."

_"Pika Pi!" _Pikachu nodded, jumping up on his usual spot, while Ash scooped up the injured Riolu in his arms and rushed his way to the nearest Pokemon center.

* * *

**And that's all for Chapter 1!**

**I know this chapter seems slow and nothing too exciting happens here, but everything will really start rolling soon.**

**Feel free to leave a review and ask any questions if you have any.**

**Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey welcome back! Sorry for the slight delay. I had school work to take care of as well as making final changes to the chapter with my beta, but I want to thank everyone who took the time to read the first chapter. **

**Also, ****before you read this, know that I'm not an expert when it comes to guessing how long it would take to travel in between cities/towns and whatnot. Sorry in advance if some things aren't 100% accurate!**

**And an important side note before reading: **

_"Italicized words in quotes" = Pokespeech or Telepathy_

'Single quotations' = Thoughts

**Anyway! Without further ado, I bring you Chapter 2 of A Hero's Redemption. Hope you enjoy it! Please leave your thoughts in the reviews!**

* * *

**_Chapter 2_**

* * *

Over an hour had passed since the previous incident and Ash was growing extremely concerned for the Riolu that laid in his arms. He had appeared very weak and by judging what happened just a little while ago, he barely even had the strength to stand up. Ash was so furious at Riolu's trainer and wished he had the opportunity to teach him a lesson the proper way. After all, what kind of twisted person would treat a Pokemon in such a way, especially one so small and innocent like a Riolu? Ash just couldn't understand why.

On the dirt path, the boy's breathing continued to grow heavier and heavier with each passing second. He was sprinting as fast as he could at this point, desperately trying to reach the help he needed. The extra weight of the two Pokemon on his body didn't even seem to drag him down in the slightest. All he was worried about now was getting Riolu to the Pokemon Center.

Unfortunately for Ash, he was getting so close to reaching Pallet Town after his long journey in Sinnoh. This whole incident put a minor delay on his return home, but for Ash, he would take any opportunity he could to help someone in need. Being on his way to Pallet, Ash had to turn the completely opposite direction over to the closest city, Viridian, where the closest Center would be. Luckily, Ash wasn't too far away from Viridian to begin with, being around halfway on the route leading to both destinations.

As time went on, the sun was setting and the night began to take over the sky, as Ash finally began to approach Viridian. Reaching the entrance, he was stopped by the Officer Jenny who was on patrol for that night.

"Halt! Who goes there!" The officer yelled cautiously.

Ash, ending his sprint, panted heavily, and was forced to speak through heavy gasps of air. "I...need help...!" he managed to mutter.

Jenny appeared to be confused with what the boy was trying to say, but glanced at the Pokemon he was holding, and immediately got the whole picture. "Wait right here. I'm gonna get you to the Pokemon Center as soon as possible."

Ash felt relieved as he heard this. Pikachu clung tightly to his shoulder, trying his best to reassure his trainer, while Riolu remained unconscious in his arms.

Only moments later, Officer Jenny drove a motorcycle from the garage near her post, attached to it was a small sidecar. With a stern expression on her face, Jenny merely said, "Get in."

Ash nodded and quickly jogged over to the sidecar and hopped in. With everyone now being in the vehicle, Officer Jenny put the motorcycle in gear and drove off as fast as she could.

* * *

It was only a few minutes before they arrived at the Center. Ash wasted no time and jumped out of his seat and rushed into the building followed by Officer Jenny who ran in behind him.

Nurse Joy was sitting behind her desk, when she noticed the double doors in front of her open and reveal a boy as well as Officer Jenny right behind him.

"Please help!" Ash shouted as he got closer to the front desk.

Nurse Joy stood up, and immediately got to work, being an expert on emergencies like this. She then called for a few Chanseys to come out and bring a stretcher for the badly injured Pokemon. She rapidly began typing on her computer before the Chanseys came back with the hospital stretcher.

"What's going on here?" Nurse Joy asked as she brought the stretcher over to the two.

"This boy came rushing over to me with an injured Pokemon, so I brought him over here as fast as I could," Officer Jenny replied quickly.

Ash nodded. "I found this Riolu in the woods miles away from Viridian City. His trainer was abusing him," He growled, clenching his fists tightly.

Nurse Joy didn't say much more then, only focusing on the task at hand, for now. Her and two of the Chanseys made their way to a room in the back of the Center, the trio being gone as soon as they pushed past the door.

Ash sighed. "I hope he's going to be okay," he remarked sadly, remembering the bad condition Riolu was in.

"I'm sure he'll be just fine," Officer Jenny assured. "At least we brought him in as quickly as we could. It could've be much worse."

Ash just nodded sadly. "Thank you Officer Jenny. For helping us out and driving us here. It saved us a lot of time rather than me having to run the rest of the way myself."

Jenny smiled. "It was my pleasure. Now, it might be awhile before they're done in there, so why don't you get some sleep," she suggested.

Ash agreed with her suggestion. He _was_ tired after all. He had spent all that time in panic and it was actually becoming late at night, the moon now becoming completely illuminated in the pitch black sky.

Just then, Officer Jenny walked out, got on her motorcycle and left the Center, now leaving the ten year old and his Pikachu all by themselves in the main waiting room.

Looking around in the lobby, there was literally nobody else in there; the place completely deserted. Ash suspected it was because it was so late, nobody would need much help during this time. It was only his guess though.

Taking a glance over to his right, he noticed Pikachu, who was still on his shoulder, dozing off a little bit from exhaustion of such a long day.

"Hey, Pikachu..." Ash said.

The boy's companion looked over at his trainer, giving a huge yawn. "_Pika?_"

"Haha, you tired bud?" He smiled.

Pikachu nodded and shut his eyes again, this time going into a much deeper slumber. Ash took this as his cue to walk over to the nearest chair in the lobby and took a seat. He sighed as he set himself down, and began to relax. He put his hands around Pikachu's waist and carefully lifted him from his shoulder and placed him on his lap, giving him a more comfortable place to sleep in. At this, Pikachu instinctively curled up into a ball, and continued on with resting. His body rose and fell, matching the pace of his steady breathing.

Complete silence overtook the entire room, and every second that went by seemed like an eternity for the patient wait. Ash's eyes began to feel heavy, finding it hard to keep them open. Within a few minutes he eventually gave in and allowed himself to fall asleep.

* * *

It was now early morning, the sun beginning to rise above the horizon. The Pokemon Center still remained unpopulated with Pikachu and Ash still resting on the single chair they had taken over last night.

"Um...excuse me?" A voice came.

It was extremely abrupt, only causing Ash to stir a bit, not waking up, and only readjusting his positioning in response to the voice. Nurse Joy sweat dropped at this, but luckily for her, Pikachu began to wake due to the uncomfortable shifting of his trainer.

"_Pika...?" _Pikachu muttered sleepily, looking at the nurse, whose eyes met his. He then looked up at his trainer and realized he was still fast asleep, almost in a coma state. Pikachu sighed, realizing what he to do... yet again.

With a light thundershock, Pikachu zapped Ash. It was weaker than the last one on the boat, but it still sent an electrical shock throughout his body, which immediately brought him out of his sleep.

"Ah!" Ash nearly yelled out.

He looked around frantically and realized he was just in the Pokemon Center. He looked up to see Nurse Joy standing in front of him. She appeared to be pleased.

"I have good news," She began. "Your Riolu is doing just fine. There were a lot of injuries we had to care for last night, but nothing too serious or life threatening. He'll be recovering in no time," She finished happily.

"That's good to hear Nurse Joy," Ash smiled. He was so glad Riolu was doing fine. It had been such a close call. "Can we go see him?"

She nodded in response. "I thought you'd ask. He's in the second room behind those double doors in the back," She said, gesturing towards the back.

Ash thanked her once again, and he and Pikachu made their way to see Riolu again. The duo pushed their way past the double doors, and Ash found himself looking at a long hall containing a bunch of different rooms, both on the left and right. They all held a single window, and were labeled each with a different room number. This however, only confused the heck out of Ash, as he was unsure of what to do.

"Uh...Which one was it again Pikachu?" Ash curiously asked, scratching the back of his head.

Pikachu nearly fell down anime style at the boy's poor memory, but managed to regain his balance on his trainer's shoulder. "_Pika Pi,"_ Pikachu sighed, pointing to the second door on the left. "Oh...right," Ash chuckled sheepishly.

The two quietly entered the room to find Riolu lying still in a bed, appearing to be awake. As soon as they stepped in, Riolu instantaneously noticed the two, and turned his head to looked over at them.

_"Ri?"_

"Hey Riolu," Ash smiled down at him. He got down on a knee beside the bed so that he was directly eye level to the smaller creature on the bed. "I'm glad to see you're doing better. You're all safe now."

The Pokemon, in return gave the boy an appreciative smile, a small tear forming from the corner of its eye. _"Ri, Riolu!"_

Ash didn't completely understand what the Pokemon was saying, let alone Pokespeech, but he was usually able to get the gist of what they were trying to say.

"Don't mention it, Riolu. I couldn't stand to see you get hurt like that. I would do it all again if I had to," Ash smiled, giving his trademark thumbs up and a wink. "_Pika!"_ Pikachu added in agreement.

Riolu, in response practically leaped forward, embracing the young boy in a tight hug. Ash was a little taken aback at first, but returned it, wrapping his arms around Riolu, making sure to take it easy on his still recovering body.

Just now, Nurse Joy walked in, noticing them embracing one another and giggled. "I see the two of you have become good friends now!"

Ash turned around, releasing the Pokemon and looked over at Nurse Joy, and chuckled. "Yeah, you bet! Best friends!" He exclaimed. Riolu and Pikachu both laughed in unison at the boy's over enthusiastic behavior.

"That's great!" Nurse Joy laughed. "I think Riolu should be just fine to leave the Pokemon Center early afternoon. We were able to take care of everything last night and he was able to get a lot of recovering done with a good night's sleep."

"Thank you so much Nurse Joy!" Ash smiled, to which Nurse Joy nodded and stepped out of the room.

"Did you hear that Riolu?" Ash grinned. "You'll be good to go by early afternoon!"

"_Ri!" _The Pokemon exclaimed in response. He was just as happy as Ash that he was well enough to leave. And so quick too! He couldn't thank this boy enough. He was for sure a goner if it wasn't him that had stood up to his former trainer. He could've just left him there helpless to die for all he knew. He shivered inwardly at the thought.

"Oh shoot!" Ash just remembered, placing both hands on his head. "I should probably call mom. I called her last time on the boat, and told her to expect me within two weeks, and it's been over two weeks!" He panicked, knowing his mother's typical reactions to his failed promises and lack of calls. He hurried out the room. "I'll be back in a jiffy guys!"

"_Ri?" _ Riolu asked itself.

_"Pika, chu," _Pikachu replied, shaking his head.

* * *

Ash finally managed to get ahold of the video phone in the lobby, quickly punching in his home number and waiting for the other end to pick up. Almost immediately, the screen lit up to show a close up of Delia Ketchum with an annoyed look on her face.

"Um..hi, mom..." Ash said quietly. "I was-"

Delia cut in before her son was able to explain himself. "Ashton Ketchum! Where are you!" She scolded. "And why haven't you called?!"

"I'm at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City, mom. I found this abused Riolu in the woods, and Pikachu and I had to rush him back over to the city to get him help."

"You found an abused Riolu?" Delia placed a hand over her heart, looking sympathetic now. Ash sweat dropped at the sudden change of his mom's behavior, but nodded in confirmation.

"Oh poor thing! How is it doing now?" She asked worriedly.

"He's doing great now! Nurse Joy actually said he'll be good to go by early afternoon!" Ash replied.

Delia nodded. "That's good to hear. Come back soon honey. I miss you."

"I will. I miss you too mom. See you soon," And with that Ash hung up, feeling surprised at how well that all went. He figured the whole Riolu story took her mind off of it...well, momentarily at least.

Ash walked back to the room containing the two Pokemon, and the trio waited a few hours before afternoon had come around.

* * *

A little while later, it was time for them to continue their way home. Ash was becoming rather eager to come back home, and they had left the center as soon as they possibly could.

Ash, Pikachu, and Riolu all walked out of the Center. Pikachu was currently on his usual spot on his shoulder, while Riolu walked closely beside Ash. They all stood in place. Ash wasn't quite sure what to do with Riolu at this point.

"So...Riolu. I guess this is it buddy. You're free to go," Ash smiled sadly at the Pokemon.

Riolu shook his head. _"Riolu!" _He made no effort to just run off. He still stood there, looking more confident as he spoke to the boy.

"Huh? You wanna come with us?" Ash questioned, to which he received a nod in response. "Well...are you sure Riolu? I hope you don't feel obligated to have to come with us after all that."

The Pokemon shook his head once again, seeming to be sure in his decision to come with the boy. Ash's face remained nonchalant before a huge grin spread across his face. "Of course you can come with us Riolu!" Ash beamed enthusiastically. He was always happy to take along another friend with him. "The more the merrier," Ash laughed, earning a _"Pika!" _in agreement.

Ash's excitement eventually died down, however, as he realized something. "Wait, I can't catch you. I've realized that you're still technically owned by your previous trainer."

Riolu seemed to think about this, but spoke, waving his hands as he made a whole bunch of gestures. Ash looked carefully, trying to understand what he was trying to say to him.

He finally caught on. "Oh...you can still be owned by me even if I don't have your Pokeball. You can just travel outside without a ball like Pikachu?"

Riolu nodded, glad he was able to get his point across. Ash was still inwardly debating the situation, but gave in. "Alright, let's see how this goes. Hopefully we don't run into that guy again."

Everyone in the group agreed with Ash's statement. With everyone being well rested and well enough to go, the trio eagerly made their way back to Pallet Town.

* * *

Currently on the route to Pallet Town, Ash and his group of two Pokemon still continued their way back. During the past day, the trio had made occasional stops and breaks, and rested overnight in a comfortable spot in the forest. Now mid morning, they were just nearly approaching the hill that gave an entire view of the small town.

"Finally!" Ash exclaimed. "We're home guys!"

_"Pika Pi!" _and _"Ri!" _the two Pokemon exclaimed back.

"Haha! I'll race you guys the rest of the way!" Ash laughed, as he ran down the hill followed by Pikachu and Riolu dashing after him, eager not to lose this mini competition.

Ash was confident he would be the clear winner of this race, but he noticed Pikachu coming ahead of him with Riolu being behind Pikachu, but still ahead of Ash. "Oh no you don't!"

Ash tried running faster, almost catching up to the two, but it was no use. They were far faster than him, and Ash didn't have the ability to be able to outrun Pokemon as fast as them.

As they were practically nearing the Ketchum residence, Pikachu stopped right in front of the home belonging to his trainer's, and turned to face Ash giving him a smirk.

"Ok!..Ok. Pikachu you win," Ash gasped, his hands on his knees. Pikachu seemed proud at this, Riolu on the other hand, admired Pikachu. He too had underestimated the stunning speed Pikachu had.

As Ash regained his breath, he walked over to the white door to his house, and rang the doorbell.

After a few moments of waiting patiently, the door opened, but nobody was in sight. Looking down, Ash saw it had been a Pokemon who opened the door.

_"Mr. Mime!"_ The Pokemon exclaimed happily.

"Hey Mr. Mime! I'm back!"

Mr. Mime opened the door, this time wider, enabling them to step in. "Mom, I'm home!" Ash called as soon as he entered his house. "Mom?" He asked, receiving no reply. "That's funny...I don't see her anywhere," He trailed off.

"Ash!" The voice suddenly, but clearly called.

The boy grinned. He knew that voice all too well. "Mom, I'm back!" He called out once again. Soon after, coming from the kitchen was Delia Ketchum, who still looked the same after Ash had left home for the Sinnoh Region. She wore her usual attire which consisted of a simple pink top over a yellow shirt and a navy skirt.

"I'm so glad that you're home, Ash!" Delia exclaimed as she enveloped her son in a bone crushing hug. Ash wasn't expecting this and was only able to squeal in his mother's tight embrace.

"Mom..." Ash gasped. "Not so tight...please." Delia eventually realized what she had been doing and showed mercy on the boy. "Sorry Ash. It's been so long! You have no idea how long you've been gone," She said, but her sudden shift in mood startled him. "What took you so long young man!" She demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

Ash laughed nervously at this, not entirely sure what to say. "Just a lot things came up I guess. I lost the Conference at Sinnoh, so I had to come back home," He sighed upon recalling his defeat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ash..." She said sadly, noticing her son's gloomy expression. Her attention quickly diverted when she noticed the two Pokemon Ash brought along in the house. "Aww! Pikachu! And this must be Riolu!" She crouched and pet the two Pokemon's head, to which Pikachu and Riolu purred in delight at feeling the soft fingers scratch the top of their furry heads. "They're so cute!" Delia squealed childishly.

Ash chuckled in response when his stomach unexpectedly began to mimic the sound of an earthquake, grumbling rather loudly. The boy shot his hands up and over his stomach in response, causing Delia to look up at her son and laugh at the blush evident on his face.

"Someone's hungry," She stated.

"Hehe...well with Brock not around, I haven't really gotten anything decent to eat for a while," He replied sheepishly.

"No worries!" Delia said, as she stood up. I was just about done making your favorite meal!" She smiled.

Ash perked up immediately, dashing to the kitchen, and sitting himself at the table, a fork and knife in each hand.

Delia giggled and walked over to finish preparing the meal for her son. "Some things just never change." Pikachu and Riolu laughed at the boy and followed his lead in making their way to the kitchen. Their long and tiresome journey had finally come to a peaceful end for now.

* * *

Far off on a secluded island, known as the "city of the waters," a girl with a green shirt and a short white skirt stood on a balcony. The city that she lived in was very peaceful, and not much crime occurred, however, it was often boring with not much exciting ever happening. Sure there were water races held annually and beautiful sites to see as well as museums, but it all seemed less impressive the more you saw them. It was still nice though, nonetheless.

The girl sighed to herself, resting her arms on the rail of the balcony to the house, and took in the scenery of the gorgeous city before her.

"...Latias? Are you there?" A voice from behind called her.

The girl turned around upon hearing the voice, and saw her close friend, an identical look alike of herself, who had found her on the balcony.

"Oh! Latias! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing?" She asked, curiously.

_"Nothing Bianca," _Latias replied telepathically. _"Just had some thinking to do."_

Bianca nodded, not really sure how to respond. She knew her friend was still having a bit of a hard time, having to deal with living in this city with the loss of her brother. Latias had a feeling of emptiness welled up inside and she didn't really have anyone who could comfort her aside from Bianca and Lorenzo. The safety of the city was now her responsibility, which only added to the piled stress on her. Even though her brother had now been gone for 2 years, everything still felt like yesterday.

"You still miss him, don't you?" Bianca looked at her friend sadly to which she only received a subtle nod in response.

A really uncomfortable silence had fallen over the two, causing Bianca to uneasily shift the blue bag resting on her shoulder. In an attempt to break it, she finally spoke. "Come on Latias. Let's go."

* * *

**There ya go! Chapter 2 is now completed! Thank you to all who've followed/favorited during the first chapter! I was surprised with all the attention it got. I hope this chapter was just as good, if not better than the last.**

**Well, that's all for now! Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 is now finally completed! Enjoy and please leave a review! I love hearing your guys' feedback and any thoughts you might have so far. **

**Alas, I now give you the first chapter containing the time skip and an official start since the end to the prelude. R&amp;R!**

_"Italicized words in quotes" = Pokespeech or Telepathy_

'Single quotations' = Thoughts

* * *

**_Chapter 3_**

_6 years later..._

* * *

It was currently early morning somewhere off in an Azalea Town forest in the Johto Region. Two Pokemon were battling independently without a trainer, throwing powerful attacks and dodging one another with such expertise. It would be unbelievable to find such wild Pokemon being able to fight like this, especially on their own. On one end of a small clearing in the forest, a mighty Charizard spat out a large flamethrower over at its opponent. On the other end, a Garchomp used its fins to shield itself from the attack, able to block out most of the damage.

Immediately after, the Garchomp went in and quickly charged at the dragon with a Dragon Rush to which Charizard used another flamethrower. In response, Garchomp, still shielding itself, pushed its way through, eventually landing its attack. The Dragon Rush had sent Charizard flying a bit, before he landed with a loud thud on the softened grass.

The Pokemon got itself up, and looked up at Garchomp, who appeared to be content with his current advantage. Charizard's eyes narrowed at this, and flew himself high into the air, breaking through the trees that seemed to block off a majority of the sunlight from the sun. Garchomp was beginning to become confused as well as terrified with what the Pokemon was planning, and could only look around in every direction frantically. A figure who watched from not too far, crossed his arms and smirked, seeming to know exactly what Charizard was up to. And just moments later of complete silence, the trees began to rattle fiercely as the orange dragon burst through from the sky and snatched Garchomp, hauling him with him back into the air. The duo returned later with Charizard slamming Garchomp roughly into the ground with a Seismic Toss attack, one of his signature moves.

Garchomp groaned painfully at this, currently laying in a small pit cut into the ground from the impact. Garchomp was able to feel every bit of that last attack, but had managed to get himself up, now directly face to face with his opponent. Both had gotten into battle stance and were already ready to proceed their battle. Just as they were about to launch their next set of attacks, a small applause came from the figure who had witnessed the entire duel. The sudden intervention had put an abrupt end to the match. It was quite a long one, but still an interesting one to see two of his strongest Pokemon give everything they had in their training session. He called to them, gaining their attention.

"Garchomp, Charizard. Well done," the deep, but clear voice said calmly. The two Pokemon bowed slightly in respect and in thanks for their trainer's approval. They were glad they were able to put on an adequate battle for him.

The figure took a step closer to the two, his face now being revealed by the shadow from the trees that concealed his face. His long dark hair stuck out messily in their usual spikes, and his auburn eyes glistened a light shade of blue in the small amount of sunlight present. He wore a blue tunic body piece with dark grey sleeves and pants as well as several other accessories consisting of a pair of long gloves, boots, a dark cape, and a slanted hat containing a sort of yellow symbol designed on the front.

He stood much taller than he did in the past, now at approximately six foot. Everything about him had overall matured, but his eyes and face still however held onto his childhood and much of his innocence was still recognizable.

A much smaller Pokemon that sat on his trainer's shoulder, peeked over and waved at Charizard and Garchomp with a smile. _"Pika!" _To which the two larger dragon Pokemon laughed and waved back, earning a chuckle from the teenaged boy.

Followed by the boy, another member of the trainer's team walked over next to him, causing him to look over at the Pokemon that now bowed in front of him. _"Good morning, Master."_

This only caused him to look over and sigh in response. "Lucario, how many times have I told you to stop calling me that? We're friends. You can just call me Ash if you'd like," He said generously, always having to deal with the same routine. But much to his displeasure, Lucario had only readjusted his greeting and called him "Master Ash," rather than just Ash.

The teenaged boy removed his hat, running a hand through his hair, and glanced over at his other two Pokemon, which appeared to be two Sceptiles battling as well. "Alright Charizard, Pikachu, Garchomp. I want you guys to practice endurance for today. Take turns using attacks on one another and do your best to take them without pain. Lucario, you and I will be practicing combat together."

Everyone nodded in response, and wasted no time in getting to work. Pikachu leapt off of his trainer's shoulder, and joined Garchomp and Charizard in their practice session. Lucario, on the other hand, followed his Master to another open spot for where they would begin their own separate training.

Now directly across from one another, Ash gave the "ok" for the match to start, but strangely didn't use a Pokemon against him. Lucario nodded, and sprinted over to Ash before throwing a wave of punches and kicks at him. Each, however, were dodged with an equal amount of speed by the human, who jumped, ducked, and moved aside to avoid each hit.

A punch did manage to lay a solid hit on the boy, who tightened his stomach to absorb as much of the blow as he could. Almost right after, Ash returned the favor by also going on the offensive side, forcing Lucario to take on the defensive role. Very rapidly he began throwing groups of punches and kicks, which Lucario was able to dodge just as easily as his competitor. Many of the attacks went flying aimlessly through the air without a hit.

Lucario did a final backflip to avoid the last kick from his trainer, and landed in a crouch position, one paw planted firmly on the grass below.

"Great job, Lucario!" The boy proudly congratulated. "You've managed to not get hit once this time!"

_"Thank you Master," _Lucario replied, to which Ash smiled back. "Alright everyone! Break time!" The boy shouted, grabbing everyone's attention yet again.

The rest of his Pokemon halted and had begun to walk away from their previous spots and in various directions. Some were sitting down and playing, while Charizard took on his normal routine and went for a morning fly.

Ash walked over to a small lake and sat himself down beside it on the grass. He removed his boots, socks, and gloves, before moving himself closer to the lake and dipped his feet in the cool water. It was neither cold nor too warm, being just at the right temperature. It was quite nice.

A few of his Pokemon - Lucario, Pikachu, as well as his Ditto, previously transformed as Sceptile in training, all came to join him. Pikachu laid down and took a nap next to the boy, while Ash picked up Ditto and placed him in his lap.

_"Ditto!" _The purple glob Pokemon exclaimed happily, placing a smirk over Ash's face. "You did great this morning guys. I'm proud of you all."

Lucario, who still stood up, nodded respectfully. _"Thank you, Master."_ Lucario seemed a bit tense and like always, appeared to be attentive to troubles or continually watched over the safety of his Master and the rest of the Pokemon. Ash frowned a bit, sensing his friend's slight uneasiness, not wanting him to feel so troubled. "Why don't you dip your feet in the water, Lucario?" Ash suggested, patting the spot next to him. "It feels really nice today."

_"__No, I couldn't, Master," _He politely rejected, but Ash intervened, reaching over and tugging on his paw, pulling him closer. "Come on, Lucario. Take some time to relax and lighten up. You've been training hard for so long."

Lucario was hesitant at first, but nodded obediently, sitting himself down next to his trainer, and dipped his feet into the water. The sudden contact caused him to go a bit wide eyed, before the pleasurable sensation hit him. He closed his eyes and sighed, enjoying the cool feeling the water had offered.

"How is it Lucario?" Ash grinned, witnessing his reaction. Lucario smiled back, and nodded. _"It's nice. Thank you, Ash."_

Ash was happy to hear that, and quite shocked that his Lucario had finally called him by his first name. He had always addressed him by Master, but finally hearing him saying his actual name made Ash feel content. He was glad Lucario could think of him as one of his friends.

The two continued to soak their feet in the water, Ditto and Pikachu were resting peacefully in their respective spots, while Sceptile and Garchomp were with each other walking around, and Charizard had just returned from his short flight.

Taking in a sight of all of his Pokemon, Ash was extremely proud at how far they've come. He would've guessed he was one of the strongest trainers in the region judging by the condition of his current Pokemon. Their endurance, strength, defense, as well as their strategies had all improved dramatically like he had hoped it would. Not only that, but they had grown even closer than ever during their times together.

Ash began to recall his past events. He began to think of when he had learned to take on a role of an Aura Guardian. A few years back, his Riolu had evolved into Lucario, which also strengthened Lucario's Aura abilities to enable him to communicate with Ash. Lucario, ever since his Riolu stage, knew there was something special about Ash. He could sense the Aura he possessed and knew it wasn't like any other's. In fact, Lucario was a major influence to aid Ash's decision in taking the path of an Aura Guardian. He had a natural act for saving those in trouble even in the most extreme cases like Paul's Chimchar for example. Of course, he still had dreams to become a Pokemon Master, but he had a strong belief his duty was to serve as a Guardian to the Universe. Aura Guardians were so rare to come by nowadays, with Ash being only one of the few still left in existence.

Feeling as though he had enough, Ash brought himself out of the water, causing his two smaller Pokemon to awake. He put on the remainder of his clothing, while Lucario followed suite and stood up as well.

"Hm...Lucario, do you ever feel like we've been here for too long?" Ash asked Lucario curiously as he pulled a glove over his arm. The boy had been wondering since every once in a while, he and his Pokemon would move to a new training spot. They had been all over the place, from Mt. Silver, forests across various regions, and anywhere rather secluded to train alone. But each time they moved, they would stay in the same location for a few months to a year, and at times it got rather boring around. It was always nice to move to a new place from time to time.

Lucario seemed to think about the topic for a moment. It hadn't really been something he had thought about too much nor had it crossed his mind. He realized it had felt like a long time since they last moved locations. _"...I'm not sure," _he began_. "If I am correct, I believe we have been in Azalea for almost a year now."_

Ash stopped for a second. Has it already been a year? Doing a mental calculation, he realized they were now about to approach their sixth year of nonstop training and traveling. Not to foreign regions, however, only to ones they were acquainted with so far.

"Wow, you're right Lucario," Ash replied, shocked with his sudden realization. "I think it might be a good idea to settle down somewhere else for a little bit. Take some time away from training," He suggested.

Lucario didn't know how to react. Throughout his life, he had always been on the move. Traveling, training, and always moving forward with their goals. The thought of taking a break from all their hard work and enjoying time to themselves still seemed rather new to him.

_"I agree with whatever you feel is best," _Lucario replied with a serene expression. Even if the thought seemed unusual to him, he was still willing to follow his orders.

Ash, in turn, furrowed an eyebrow and brought a finger to his chin, seeming to be in deep thought at this. "You know, I'm thinking we should take a break somewhere. But where would we go? Preferably somewhere not too far."

The teenager carried on a private conversation with himself, pacing back and forth. Lucario, as well as the others began giving strange looks at the boy. He tried thinking back to his previous journeys and places that were close to where they currently were. Ash had thought of several locations off the top of his head, but all would require at least weeks of traveling. He eventually stopped in his tracks, his index finger raised in the air conclusively. "Oh, I know! There's a nice secluded island south from here called Altomare. It's not too far, but it does require us to fly there."

He then turned around to the remainder of his team, motioning them to come over. All six were now crowded around him, awaiting for what he had to say to them.

"Guys, we've been here for almost a year now, making our total training add up to almost six years. What do you guys think about going to Altomare for a nice break from all our hard work? I'm very proud of each and every one of you and think you all deserve a nice break from training."

Everyone roared their names in response, agreeing with the boy's proposal. They really had been in the forest for far too long now, and the thoughts of visiting an old place seemed pleasant.

"Hey, Charizard," Ash said, eager to reach the island as soon as possible. "I can count on you to take us there, right?" He looked up the tall dragon towering over him.

Charizard nodded, and let a flamethrower escape his mouth in excitement. Ash grinned, removing five Pokeballs from his belt and returned everyone except for Pikachu and Charizard. It would be impossible for all of them to be carried by Charizard alone, and nobody else had the ability to fly as efficiently as he was able to.

The orange flame dragon lowered his body, motioning to his trainer and Pikachu to hop on. Quickly, Ash took this as his cue and jumped on the Pokemon's back, followed by Pikachu climbing up to sit in a spot in front of the boy. They both clung tightly to Charizard's back and embraced their sudden take off. Within seconds, Charizard had launched himself into the air, and the trio were long gone.

* * *

It had now been a few hours since their take off to Altomare, now being around mid afternoon. Ash had remembered journeying back to this island when he was younger, and could recall how beautiful and secluded the small city was. He thought it would be the perfect place to settle down for a bit and rest up until they were ready to begin their training again. Plus, it would be quite interesting to see how much had changed since then.

They were still in the air at this time, only being around a few more minutes until they reached the island. Pikachu's ears twitched in reaction to closing in on the familiar place of their former travels. The duo flew past a few enlarged clouds and now had come into full view of the city below them.

From his first judgements, Ash could see not much had changed from his last memory, and was glad to see the city still in good condition. He could only see the rest for himself when they would finally arrive.

After a few more minutes had passed, Ash pointed at a landing area, which was located directly at the pier. Charizard began to near their designated spot, flapping his wings to slow down as the got closer and closer.

Charizard now being only inches from the wooden pier, planted his feet firmly on the surface, dust and rocks scattered in all directions upon his landing.

Ash swung a leg over the dragon's body and hopped off, followed by Pikachu, who jumped back onto his trainer. Ash stretched his arms above his head and yawned. They had been in the air for a while now, and Ash had been forced to hunch over and grip onto his Pokemon firmly as to not fall off. Definitely not the most comfortable position to be in, but he had suffered far worse before.

Ash pulled out a Pokeball and aimed it at Charizard, promptly thanking him before returning him back to the red and white sphere, clipping it onto his belt.

Ash and Pikachu began to make their way through the city, noticing much of it to be the pretty much the same as before. It was still inhabited by a good amount of people, and things still seemed to overall be in balance. He noticed many buildings and homes scattered across the city, as well as numerous vendors and trainers battling.

He decided he would first make his way over to the Pokemon Center in order to have a place he and his friends could stay at during the nights. He was fairly close already, and jogged the rest of his way. The only remaining obstacle being the double doors to the Center, which he pushed through with ease.

His sudden entrance forced several people to look up at him, not ever seeing somebody like him in their city before. He must have just been another traveler they figured.

Ash did his best to brush off the stares and walked over to the Nurse Joy on the other end of the front desk. As he approached her, he simply stated. "One room please." To which the Nurse Joy seemed to have a surprised expression. The boy's choice of clothing seemed a bit unusual and out of the ordinary, but she still handed him his room key after retrieving it for him.

"Thank you and I hope you enjoy your stay," She said, while Ash only nodded and made his way upstairs to gain access to his room.

* * *

In a hidden place, somewhere kept secreted by all citizens of Altomare, a girl sat by herself on a single swing set in an open garden. This was the exact spot that contained the Soul Dew, which was believed to hold the soul of Latios, the savior of the city from nearly eight years back. Nobody had ever forgotten Latios' sacrifice. He had saved all of them but at the cost of his own life. He was truly a hero in everyone's thoughts.

The girl on the swing had a strong feeling of boredom, swinging back and forth on the wooden seat slowly, thinking of what she could do today. Without any luck for the umpteenth time, she hadn't come up with anything. She usually ended up spending much of her time in the Secret Garden with the Soul Dew, Bianca and her grandfather Lorenzo, or sometimes stayed and played with the Pokemon that lived in the garden.

She got up and began to be enveloped in a blinding light, and took on her true form - a Pokemon. She remained unchanged for the most part over the years. Her grief for her brother Latios lessened over time, but she still missed him a lot.

Her body soon vanished and became covered in a coat of invisibility in order to hide herself from the city. She flew out of the entrance from the Garden, and decided to go do a quick check up on the condition of everything outside the Garden.

As she was flying above Altomare, currently invisible to the human eye, she noticed everything seemed to be in good condition like always. She just couldn't shake off a strange feeling that lingered within her. It was an unusual sensation of familiarity and an Aura that seemed much too familiar to her. Just what exactly could it be? She set the feeling aside and flew to find her lifelong friends, Bianca and Lorenzo.

* * *

**There we have it. An average length chapter, and another necessary one in order to set everything up in the future. I hope you enjoyed and special thanks to everyone whose dropped in a review so far.**

**Also, my apologies for the long wait to this chapter. No writer's block, it just took more time to finish and revise than expected.**

**Until next time my fellow readers! It only gets better from here.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Apologies again for the pretty slow update(s). School's been really holding me down lately, but I've made it up with a bit of a longer chapter. Things should definitely be more consistent when summer comes around, but no promises until then. **

**Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review. Every thought, comment, etc. count.**

_"Italicized words in quotes" = Pokespeech or Telepathy_

'Single quotations' = Thoughts

* * *

Last Time:

_She got up and began to be enveloped in a blinding light, and took on her true form - a Pokemon. She remained unchanged for the most part over the years. Her grief for her brother Latios lessened over time, but she still missed him a lot._

_Her body soon vanished and became covered in a coat of invisibility in order to hide herself from the city. She flew out of the entrance from the Garden, and decided to go do a quick check up on the condition of everything outside the Garden._

_As she was flying above Altomare, currently invisible to the human eye, she noticed everything seemed to be in good condition like always. She just couldn't shake off a strange feeling that lingered within her. It was an unusual sensation of familiarity and an Aura that seemed much too familiar to her. Just what exactly could it be? She set the feeling aside and flew to find her lifelong friends, Bianca and Lorenzo._

* * *

**_Chapter 4_**

* * *

After checking into his room, Ash had wandered back through the city, only planning to go for a casual walk. It had been such a long time since his last move and Altomare seemed to be such a good place to settle down, he just couldn't resist.

As he was walking, he took in the city, taking his time to fully admire the huge selections of buildings and homes, as well as the bridges and alley ways that spread throughout the city.

"Things sure seem to be looking good here," Ash muttered to himself, Pikachu still perched over his shoulder. He continued on with his stroll, but before he could even react, a sudden figure had abruptly and forcefully slammed into him, causing both Ash and him to fall onto the concrete sidewalk.

"...Ow! Watch where you're going!" The boy groaned, standing up and rubbing his back to ease the pain.

Ash, too, brought himself up, managing to recover from the fall. "Sheesh! I should be saying that to you, kid."

"Fair," He replied, nonchalantly. "Say..." The younger boy began, observing the Guardian carefully. "Are you a trainer? I don't think I've seen you around before."

Ash nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I'm a trainer," He replied, not wanting to completely reveal himself. He was still a trainer, but being a rare Aura Guardian was something he'd prefer keeping privately.

The boy, on the other hand, grinned upon his words. "Well in that case!" He declared loudly. "I'm challenging you to a two on two battle!"

Ash raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem a tad bit surprised, seeming to anticipate a challenge like this so soon. He still wasn't backing down though, even if this was just some random kid he met minutes ago. "Alright then, I accept your challenge. A two on two battle it is."

"Great!" He replied enthusiastically. "I'll have you know that my Pokemon are really strong, so you better watch out! I don't give up that easily!"

Ash grinned, quite amused by his over enthusiastic demeanor. It reminded him a lot of what he was like when he was younger. _"Pika Pi,"_ Pikachu stated quietly.

"Oh come on," Ash said defensively, partially not wanting to admit his Pokemon was right. "I wasn't that bad, was I?" which earned a snicker from the electric type.

The mini interaction went completely unnoticed by the boy, and the two of them had already walked opposite to one another, deciding to battle at the same place of their unexpected meeting. Now currently in their battle positions, both held competitive smirks. Both believing this battle to be their own separate wins.

* * *

A little bit away from the current match, a certain girl with a white beret, green shirt, and pink sneakers, browsed through the city's markets with her usual sketchpad and belongings held along with her.

Bianca took several glances at each of the stands, checking out the variety of fruits, vegetables, and snacks each of the vendors had offered. She spent some time at each of the stands and shops, purchasing regular food items or ones that seemed interesting, and then putting each of them in her bag.

Stepping out of a small store, Bianca was soon greeted with the healthful sunlight that shone over the city, thoroughly enjoying the pleasant warmth it had provided.

After doing her daily shopping for some groceries, she decided to make her way back home. From there she had planned to go to the museum where she could continue her current painting project and hopefully find Lorenzo.

It was such a peaceful day like any other, but for some odd reason, an unusual commotion had disrupted her, causing her to look around in curiosity at what it could possibly be. Unable to find what was wrong, she decided to go check it out, packing up her things and moving towards the sound.

Walking only a bit further, she realized the commotion had been much closer than she had expected, and could already see huge groups of people huddled around something. She couldn't exactly tell what it was from her current location.

Moving even closer, and squeezing through a few people, she found a battle taking place, now completely understanding what all the ruckus was over. She found this particular battle to be rather interesting, however. She had recognized who the challenger was; his name was Michael. She had occasionally seen him around the small city, challenging many random tourists and people. He was still only a young avid trainer, who believed he was much more skilled than he actually was.

On the other hand, the much taller figure was somewhat unrecognizable. Bianca felt she knew him from somewhere, but couldn't exactly pinpoint who exactly he was. The outfit he wore did seem out of the ordinary and unlike anything a regular citizen would have on. He was probably just another new traveler she figured, brushing off the thought.

Trying to see the current condition of the battle, Bianca attempted to peer through a gap in the crowd. It seemed that Michael's Pidgeotto was having a difficult time keeping up with the Charizard, moving out of the way from several flamethrowers and other attacks. It had tried to launch attacks of its own in response to its trainer, but the orange dragon dodged all of them with ease.

Michael was noticeably sweating. All of his focus was visibly put into the match, and he was throwing out everything he had up his sleeve, but grew discouraged as the teenager was able to act upon each of his strategies. He was consistently able to think of ways to counter all of Pidgeotto's attacks, and come in when their weaknesses were evident.

This particularly attracted a majority of the people stopping by to watch. Ash had portrayed such unbelievable skills, and always seemed to be a step ahead of the game, and without even seeming to break a sweat! He ordered each of his attacks and his Pokemon executed them with such precision and power.

Michael was growing even more desperate at this point, hoping at best for a miracle to occur that would grant him a successful hit. After ordering his Pidgeotto to use a Wing Attack, Ash had Charizard use Smoke Screen.

Both Pokemon, at the moment, were in the air. To free himself from Pidgeotto's hit, Charizard unleashed a cloud of darkened smoke, putting Pidgeotto to a halt, and remain helpless, unsure of what exactly to do next.

"Charizard! Let's end this with a Flamethrower!" Ash yelled confidently.

Executing its last attack, Charizard aimed a flamethrower through the puff of smoke, which pushed Pidgeotto and forced him onto the concrete floor with a huge thud.

Cheers could soon be heard upon the win of the newcomer. It was an excellent round. Michael had managed to put on a better fight this time around, making everything that much more entertaining to their audience.

Both trainers recalled their Pokemon, thanking them for their best efforts, and walked over to each other.

"Wow! That was amazing!" Michael beamed with a childish demeanor. "My name's Michael by the way. What's yours? You're a really strong trainer."

"Thank you," the teenager chuckled to himself lightly. "My name is Ash. And that was a good battle, Michael. I'm sure with enough training and hard work, you can be just as strong as me."

He nodded, determined, and ran off soon after, nobody catching sight of where he was off to next.

Bianca as well, walked away as soon as the battle had been over, choosing to continue with her plans for today. The crowd had eventually began to subside, some people came up to Ash to congratulate him for his win, or took the time to comment on how well he had battled.

Right after, Ash and Pikachu left the location and carried on with their day like they had normally. Both were proud to be able to come out as the victors.

* * *

"We really have become stronger, haven't we Pikachu?" Ash said, as he roamed the city with his companion yet again, recalling their performance of the recent battle.

Pikachu nodded, giving a confident nod in agreement.

"So, Pikachu, what else should we do here? We could go looking around some more or we could just head back to the Center. I'm not really sure where else we could go to be honest," Ash stopped for a second, allowing his companion to make the decision.

The electric mouse's ears twitched momentarily, before he gestured towards a huge structure that was evident not too far down the city. 'Hmm, why would Pika choose that place out of all the others...'

"Oh wait. Yeah!...I remember!" The Guardian said in realization. "That was the Altomare Museum from those years ago. We should definitely go check it out!"

Ash began to sprint rapidly the rest of the way, throwing Pikachu greatly off balance, and making him cling onto his trainer for dear life. Pikachu embraced himself, and the two, after nearly twenty minutes had found themselves looking up at the familiar building that towered over them.

"Gosh, it's been ages since we've been here..." Ash pointed out, feeling a bit nostalgic. The two stepped into the Museum shortly, which still held the DMA, or the Defense Mechanism of Altomare, and took a look inside.

There wasn't really anything that appeared to have changed since their last visit. The only sort of change that Ash could notice was the slight blemishes or dust that appeared to gather due to age of the building, but not really anything too major. However, the place did seem rather vacant with not a whole lot of people looking around.

The duo began to explore the Museum further, taking looks at the Pokemon fossils as well as the other exhibits that were displayed for the public viewing. They then came across the DMA, which was still up for display.

"Um, excuse me there young man, but is there anything I can help you with?" A voice came.

"Oh, no, I'm alright. Thank you though," Ash answered, turning to face the man approaching him.

The two then stood next to one another, the older man's eyes following the direction of his own and looking up at the DMA above.

"Ah, yes. This is the DMA if you hadn't known already. You see, it was designed to protect the city of Altomare, but a tragic event happened years ago that malfunctioned the machine, and thus put our city in complete danger," the man lectured.

Ash nodded, able to recall Altomare's history, and began to even remember his help in saving them as well as some of the other details from his past travel more distinctly.

"I look after the Museum by the way," The older man continued. "I'm Lorenzo."

'Lorenzo,' Ash thought, the man beginning to jog his memory. But of course, he couldn't have forgotten someone like him. He had been a good friend of his from years back.

"Wait a minute...Lorenzo?" Ash questioned, hoping to receive further confirmation from the older man.

"Yes?" Lorenzo replied, appearing a bit muddled, wondering why the boy seemed to have a look of discern over his face.

"You don't remember? It's me!...Ash Ketchum!" He answered in surprise. "I traveled here a few years back."

Lorenzo still held a look of confusion, eyeing the boy up and down. Noticing the Pikachu on the boy's shoulder and the distinguishable features of his face and raven hair - the realization hit him like a hurricane. Could it really be THE Ash Ketchum?

"Ash? Is that you?"

The teen nodded rapidly.

"...Ash! My boy, it's been ages!" Lorenzo exclaimed as he brought the young man in for a hug, to which he reciprocated.

As they separated, Lorenzo took a good look at the now young man. "Wow, you've grown a lot. You're much taller now than you were as a kid," He said, surprised with how much the teen had changed.

Ash hadn't said anything in turn, just laughed off all of the attention he was receiving.

"And hello to you too, Pikachu," Lorenzo greeted, earning a happy _"Pika!"_ from the electric type.

"So what brings you back to Altomare, Ash?" The old man asked cheerfully.

"Well, I was looking for a nice place to settle down for a little bit, and I was in Johto, so I decided to come back down to Altomare again."

Lorenzo nodded at his response. "Well I'm glad you decided to revisit because it's always nice to see old friends. I'm sure Bianca and Latias would be happy to see you too."

"Bianca!" He suddenly shouted, attempting to gain his granddaughter's attention.

Glancing back down at her grandfather, Bianca stood on the second level of the Museum. Her paint brush had suddenly stopped swerving across the canvas of her painting upon her name being called. 'Hm? What could grandfather want?' She thought to herself.

Setting down her painting supplies, she made her way down to see what was up.

"What is it grandfather?" She asked inquisitively, upon her arrival, looking over at the two men in front of her.

"Look who came to visit. You remember Ash, right?" Lorenzo spoke, gesturing towards the boy.

Bianca, instantly realized that this was the same guy that she saw battling Michael earlier. Like Lorenzo, she couldn't immediately recall who he was, but taking a closer look at him, and his unique appearance, alone, were near giveaways. She couldn't forget about the kid and their old friend who had helped save their city a few years ago from complete destruction.

"Ash!" She exclaimed, a look of surprise dawned over her face. She enveloped him in a hug, to which the teenager, again reciprocated.

"It's good to see you again, Bianca," Ash said as they separated from their embrace.

_"Pika chu!" _The yellow mouse smiled and waved.

"Hey there, Pikachu," Bianca giggled, not at all forgetting about the boy's lifelong companion.

"So...Lorenzo, Bianca. I was just wondering, but have things always been this peaceful and doing this good since I've left? It's seems completely different than how it was from last time," Ash commented, genuinely impressed with the city's condition.

"It has been," Lorenzo answered, with Bianca nodding in agreement. "Ever since Latios' sacrifice, and the restoration of the city, everything had improved dramatically. We haven't really had one serious problem so far. Fingers are still crossed though."

"That's great to hear," Ash replied with a smile, but then remembered Latias upon the mentioning of her brother. "How's Latias doing?"

"She's doing well," Bianca replied assuringly. "To be honest, she hadn't been doing the greatest after Latios' passing, but I can say she's doing a lot better now."

"That's good," Ash said in response.

Bianca nodded. "Here, we can talk more at the garden. I'm sure Latias would love to see you again."

Upon the Guardian's agreement, the three of them had exited the Museum and made their way to the location of the Secret Garden.

* * *

The trio had soon arrived after entering the secret entrance to the garden, which was still kept strictly hidden from everyone, except them and those who could be trusted.

Ash began to look in awe as he did before, almost forgetting how beautiful and unbelievable the place had looked. All of the vegetation had remained healthy and Pokemon still inhabited the place, roaming around freely and playing together in the fields.

"Wow...Everything still looks so amazing," Ash commented in complete astonishment, his face turned frozen from disbelief.

Everyone laughed at the dumbfounded look on his face, while Bianca shouted through the garden to gain her friend's attention. "Hey! Latias! There's someone you might want to come see!"

Initially, no response was heard, but unexpectedly, Ash was lifted from the grass by an invisible force. Pikachu had managed to hop off of his trainer in safety, but unfortunately for Ash, he was being carried higher and higher, leaving the ground at a dangerous height.

Just then, the invisible coat had vanished and revealed the legendary. Ash's fear quickly evaporated, as he recognized the Pokemon.

"Latias!" He smiled, as he hugged the Pokemon. Latias turned a bit red at the sudden affection, but cooed in delight. _"Hello, Ash," _She replied telepathically, causing him to go instantly wide eyed.

"D-did you just t-talk?!" Ash spat out, unbelievingly.

_"Yes," _She giggled at the boy's astonishment. _"It's called Telepathy. It's an ability that I've picked up over the years, and learned how to use proficiently."_

"That's amazing!" He replied, still in amazement.

She smiled, and remembered. She had managed to catch a glimpse of Ash prior to picking him up, and could tell much he had grown since the last time she saw him, and was far cuter than what she remembered. The legendary quickly brushed off the thought with a blush.

"Haha, Latias sure seems to be happy that Ash is back," Bianca said as she watched the two from below.

Lorenzo nodded, also watching them closely. "I haven't seen her this happy in a long time."

From above, Latias, now feeling rather tired by the weight of the teenager, decided to fly back to set him down gently on the ground.

"Ash, why don't you send out the rest of your Pokemon?" Lorenzo suggested, as he and Bianca walked over to him. "I'm sure they'd enjoy the nice space of the Garden."

"Oh thanks for the offer, I know they'd love it," Ash grinned, as he reached into his belt, all five Pokeballs now in his hand. "Come on out guys!" He said as he released his entire time.

In front of them, everyone - Sceptile, Charizard, Lucario, Garchomp, and Ditto all cried their individual names, looking around, and pleased with their arrival to Altomare.

"Alright guys," Ash turned, speaking to his team. "We're currently in the Secret Garden of Altomare. So feel free to roam around and have fun. I better not be seeing any destruction or mishaps. Understand?"

They each nodded in obedience, and were all dismissed to relax.

Lorenzo continued to look on and watched as the Guardian's Pokemon made their separate ways across the Garden. "Those are some really strong looking Pokemon you've got there, Ash," He complimented, clearly impressed with all of the boy's trainings.

"Thank you, Lorenzo. I've spent a lot of time working with each of them. It was certainly hard work to begin with, but I've got to say that it all payed off," The trainer said, watching as his Pokemon enjoyed themselves, making new friends, while Latias was playing with the others in the Garden.

The older man nodded to Ash's previous statement but then asked him with curiosity. "So I was just wondering, but where are you staying for the nights, Ash? Do you have somewhere to be?"

"Well, not really," He replied indifferently. "I did check out a room at the Pokemon Center though, so I guess I could stay there while I'm here."

"Oh...well how about you stay with us for the time being? We can arrange a guest room for you on our way back home if you'd like," Lorenzo generously offered.

"That would be great, but I wouldn't want to be a burden on you guys," Ash replied politely. It did sound a lot nicer, however, to be with his friends instead of just staying all alone at the Pokemon Center.

"Please. I insist," Lorenzo smiled, not taking no for an answer.

"Thank you so much!" Ash smiled back, grateful for the kind offer.

But then, all of a sudden, a swift breeze flew through his raven hair. Ash reached over to the top of his head, and looked up. Sure enough, he saw Latias, with his own hat in her mouth.

Ash smirked, but playfully began to participate in the legendary's games and chase her. "Hey! Give that back, you hat stealer!"

Bianca and Lorenzo watched in amusement as the trainer and Pokemon moved deeper into the garden, and closer to the site of where the Soul Dew was held.

Ash made several tries at retrieving his hat, but Latias flew out of his reach each time. With one lucky and quick swipe, Ash had managed to get his hat back, placing it back to its rightful position.

Latias, still in a joyful mood, flew in circles and around the Garden, as Ash watched with a smile.

It really had been far too long and Ash hadn't really kept in touch with any of his friends, but reuniting with ones that he met on his earlier journeys brought him such a warm feeling that he hadn't felt in such a long time.

"Hey there Ash, the sun is about to set, so I think it's about time we start heading back home. Are you up for some supper?" Lorenzo asked, as he walked over to the Guardian.

Ash, still preoccupied with Latias, went stiff. Once the word "supper" had completely registered into his mind, he immediately perked up. "Yeah that would be nice! I could go for some supper right now."

"Just as I'd thought," Lorenzo said, laughing at his antics. Once everyone had regrouped, they made their way back home. However, a peculiar force and spirit remained in the Garden, attempting to specifically call out to one of the members of the group.

* * *

At the household

"...So Ash, what have you been up to the past few years? Busy journeying and going on new adventures I assume?" Bianca asked, worried the boy would choke at the hazardous rate he was devouring his food.

After swallowing a large mouthful of spaghetti, and gulping the contents of his glass of water, he finally managed to give an answer.

"Well, I haven't exactly been going on any journeys. I've spent a majority of my time focusing on primarily training. That's the reason why my Pokemon look and battle as strong as they do."

Bianca and Lorenzo nodded in understanding.

"What made you decide to quit your journeys and train instead? It seems very unlikely of you to make such a decision," Lorenzo brought up.

"It's quite a long story, but my defeat at the Lily of the Valley Conference at Sinnoh was a huge push factor for me to try to be the best that I could. I thought about it for a bit, and that's when I realized that was the only way for me to really grow stronger. It was a little later, but that was around the same time I furthered my Aura skills and took on the role as an Aura Guardian."

This particularly caught the attention of everyone in the room, except Pikachu. Even Latias seemed to be fairly surprised upon hearing the news. _'An Aura Guardian...' _The dragoness thought to herself.

"Wait...you're an Aura Guardian?!" Both Bianca and Lorenzo half shouted and asked in utter disbelief. This had been the least expected piece of news they thought they'd receive. They believed Guardians for the most part were myths, let alone, not many even existed nowadays.

Ash, anticipating the sort of reaction by the two, nodded. A serious look dawned over his face after gobbling up the last bit of his meal. "Yes. And I'm trusting that you guys don't reveal that bit of information to anyone. We could all potentially be in serious danger if that were to get in the wrong hands."

Everyone agreed in respect to the boy's privacy. They did understand that such information could be a serious threat. After all, who knew what kinds of organizations out there would manipulate the type of power he had and use it against the world. They'd rather not find out for now.

"How did your decision in taking on the role of an Aura Guardian come up? I mean...I never knew _you _held such a powerful Aura," Bianca asked with wonder, earning a sigh from Ash.

"Please. There's a lot to the entire story, but I promise I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. I know it's a lot to take in right now."

The two remained silent, before nodding.

Right after, the room had gone quiet for a few seemingly endless moments, before Lorenzo had gotten up from his seat. "Well it's getting pretty late, so I think I'm going to hit the hay now. Goodnight everyone," He excused, walking over to place his plate in the sink.

Bianca as well as Latias, eventually followed suite, and then Ash and Pikachu soon after.

* * *

Walking over to his room, Ash twisted the knob of the door, and stepped inside, shutting it quietly behind him. Pikachu was the first to jump onto the medium sized bed, while Ash himself, took a bit longer.

Turning around, Ash had noticed Pikachu was already in a deep sleep in record timing. It was something that he and Pikachu shared in common. Strangely.

Crawling underneath the sheets of the bed, Ash stared up and watched as the ceiling fan spun rapidly, and right before he was able to fall asleep, his door creaked open once more. The unexpected event struck his awareness, making him sit up on his bed and glance as a head peaked through.

"Bianca, is that you?" Ash asked, surprised that the girl was at his room so late at night.

_"Um...no. It's me Latias," _the voice replied softly.

Ash jumped a bit, able to completely understand what she saying. He managed to settle down as he soon realized that it was just Latias taking over Bianca's form as a human.

"Oh, hi Latias. What did you need?" Ash yawned, tiredly.

_"Well..." _Latias began, already starting to feel a bit embarrassed. _"...I was wondering if I could sleep with you tonight. There's no extra beds and Bianca sometimes talks in her sleep and it keeps awake all night. If it's all right with you of course!" _She added on quickly.

"Uh..." Ash stammered, unconfidently, getting extremely nervous. Not once, had he ever been in the same bed as a girl before, and the thought of doing so made him feel almost uneasy. Sure, he had been close to Pokemon before, but being in a bed with one so human like was a bit nerve-wracking.

But in the end, he ultimately gave in. He knew there would be no use in denying her. Especially since her expression seemed so sincere and almost pleading in a way that would leave him feeling guilty if he refused.

He swallowed a lump in his throat, and did his best to remain in composure.

"Um, yeah. Sure Latias," He replied, scooting over to give the girl more room. Latias smiled and crawled in after him, now taking up the other half of the bed, as she sighed in content. Her face went red as she realized how close she was to the boy.

Ash could feel his face immediately heat up, and he turned away, his back facing the girl. Latias sighed a bit upon his action and her mind began to wonder if her request had been a bad idea. But, she was already here anyway, so there really was no point in leaving now. She was still thankful for Ash's kindness even if he didn't seem the most comfortable with the arrangement.

To prevent things from getting even more awkward, Latias turned as well, her back also facing Ash's. A huge part of her had wished the situation wouldn't feel so uncomfortable as it did.

"_Ash...Thank you.__ For everything,"_ Latias trailed off half asleep, her eyes sleepily shutting as she drifted off into a peaceful rest.

Ash smiled, able to catch onto what the girl had muttered, and also continued with his slumber. By the looks of it, Altomare had definitely been the right place for him to settle down.

* * *

**There we go! Another chapter to this story being around 5K words. I hope it was all worth the wait, and hope you all stick around for next time! My thank you's go out to all the support I've received so far!**

**Also, from now on, I think I will be continuing to add in a "Last Time" section to each chapter. It fits in pretty well in my opinion and can be handy in later chapters when more goes on and I leave you without an update for some time. :P**

**Anyways, until next time! Don't forget to leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone, I'm finally back again with the next chapter to AHR. Again, I'm very sorry for the especially long wait on this one. I've had a lot to keep up with even during the summer. I do hope this was all worth the wait because ****I feel extremely guilty.**

**Also, more of my thank you's go out to all of the reviewers for the last chapter I put up. I'm glad everyone found the end scene particularly interesting lol. I promise more good stuff is planned to come later. **

_"Italicized words in quotes" = Pokespeech or Telepathy_

'Single quotations' = Thoughts

* * *

Last Time:

_To prevent things from getting even more awkward, Latias turned as well, her back also facing Ash's. A huge part of her had wished the situation wouldn't feel so uncomfortable as it did._

_"Ash...Thank you. For everything," Latias trailed off half asleep, her eyes sleepily shutting as she drifted off into a peaceful rest._

_Ash smiled, able to catch onto what the girl had muttered, and also continued with his slumber. By the looks of it, Altomare had definitely been the right place for him to settle down._

* * *

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

Ash, for some peculiar reason, found it extremely difficult to stay asleep. Throughout the night, he had constantly been hearing a voice inside his head, appearing to call out and summon him for some sort of meeting.

_"Ash...co...to...gar...al..."_

The voice was disturbingly persistent, but hardly audible, trying to tell him exactly where to go, but not who this was or why at the moment.

_"...me...to...th...den...one..._

Ash remained still in his bed, an eye fluttering open, before he was completely awake in bed. He turned to look at Pikachu and Latias, and both were still sound asleep, unaware of his disturbed slumber. Latias remained at her end of the bed, while Pikachu stayed below them at their feet.

Careful not to wake up the two Pokemon, Ash wiggled free from the sheets, and promptly got out of bed. He walked over to grab the remainder of his clothes - gloves, hat, boots, and headed out of the household in pain of his own curiosity.

It was currently past midnight, and nobody was even out in the city at this time. The only known occupant was the Guardian, who made his way to the specified location he had vaguely, yet clearly heard from the unknown voice.

_"Co...me...to...gar...den...al...one..."_

Finally coming to the familiar secret entrance, Ash walked through the hidden portal, bringing him to the now recognized location; the Secret Garden.

Upon his sudden entrance, the voice appeared to grow more audible, and the instructions were starting to become a bit more clear. It kept telling him to go towards the Soul Dew.

Ash did as he was told in response, still wondering to himself what this whole thing was about. He had started hearing a strange voice the night before, but didn't really think much of it, passing it off for his tiredness. Its repetition during his sleep particularly struck his attention, and managed to wake him in the middle of the night.

The boy continued walking through the Garden, his Aura beginning to pick up the energy given off from the Soul Dew. Hey followed its flow of energy, still careful not to disturb the Pokemon habitats.

'This is really strange...I really do wonder who could be trying to communicate with me,' Ash thought to himself, his curiosity really eating away at him.

_"Must...speak...with...you..."_

Finally, he came across the large fountain containing the Soul Dew. Ash turned cautious as he began to near the fountain, taking small steps, before he leaned over to look inside of the water.

_"Ash..."_

The now clear, mellow voice startled the Guardian, causing him to jump. The Soul Dew began to glow a bright white, and before Ash knew it, everything went black.

* * *

He had the slightest bit of where he was, almost in a coma like state, but the voice still played in his head, causing his entire body to stir uncomfortably. His eyes fluttered repeatedly, as he was now fully awake in this weird sort of dimension with only darkness covering every inch of possible light.

_"Ash," _The voice said firmly, this time much more clear.

"Wha...? What's going on?... Wait. Latios?! Is that you...?!" Ash shouted shockingly, still in a dream like state.

_"Yes Ash," _The legendary Eon confirmed, now levitating right in front of him.

_"It's me, Latios."_

"Latios! It was you this whole time? And how can I understand you so well?" Ash asked in complete bewilderment, still not completely understanding what was going on.

_"Ash, we're in the Soul Dew, so everything I say, you can understand perfectly. I've summoned you for a rather important matter."_

"So you were the one trying to communicate with me," Ash said.

Latios nodded.

"What is it?" The boy pressed on, urging him further.

_"I wanted to thank you for saving my city. I hadn't gotten the opportunity to properly thank you, so I saw your visit to Altomare as the perfect time."_

"How did you know I was here?" The Guardian, asked curiously, his mind racing and coming up with handfuls of new questions per second.

_"Your aura," _The legendary answered collectedly. _"I could sense it. Now I'll be honest, I was quite surprised you came back, and never thought you would, but as soon as I felt your presence, I knew I had to reach you again somehow."_

"Alright, so what did you need to do?" He questioned.

_"Like I said,"_ Latios replied. _"If it weren't for you, my city would be destroyed and those that I love would've been killed. It's thanks to you that you've done so much to ensure the safety of my people and even continue with the role of being an Aura Guardian. And for that, I wanted to grant you a special gift."_

"How did you know I was a Guardian?" Ash asked, surprised the legendary uncovered his secret so quickly.

_"The power of your aura is unlike any others. It's stronger and I can tell you've taken the time to develop it, which can only mean one thing."_

Ash nodded, now getting the whole picture. "..That's really kind of you Latios, but you don't need to do anything for me. I would've done it for anybody, honestly."

_"Yes, but I insist. I can grant you the ability to understand Pokespeech. You can talk to your Pokemon and it can help further your bond with them," he suggested. _

Ash instantly perked up upon hearing that. "Could you really do that?"

Latios nodded.

"Wow," Ash muttered, clearly impressed with the legendary's abilities. "That would be incredible. I don't really know what to say."

The psychic dragon Pokemon smiled in response. _"Very well then. I shall return you back. Thank you again, Ash. Be sure to take care of yourself, your Pokemon, and my sister. She's really taken a liking to you."_

"Wait! Ash stopped. "Why don't you come back with me? Is there any way that I can free you from the Soul Dew?"

Latios shook his head. _"I wish there was a way Ash, but it's impossible. I'm already long gone, but don't worry. I'm still able to watch over the city even if I'm not there physically."_

Ash nodded sadly, a small tear escaping his eye.

_"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," _Latios assured, seeing the sad look over his face. _"Farewell Ash. I wish you good luck in the future."_

Latios' figure began to gradually fade, before the Guardian extended his arm, trying to get back to Latios. Before he knew it, he was out cold again.

* * *

Moments later, Ash found himself awake once more, this time the piercing morning sun irritating his eyes.

He groaned unwelcomely, his eyes shot open, and he found himself lying on his stomach, sprawled across the grass. Ash couldn't exactly remember much of how he ended up in the garden in the first place, but everything had immediately clicked.

'Woah! How did it become morning so quickly!' Ash thought abruptly. 'Everyone must be wondering where I am by now.'

And just like that, the boy hurried back home on a quick sprint, hopeful nobody had become too worried over him.

After nearly minutes, he had arrived back at Bianca and Lorenzo's home, entering, then shutting the door shut behind him. Boy, did he have a lot of things to tell and explaining to do.

To his own surprise, Bianca and Lorenzo were currently preparing breakfast. Both were in the kitchen, as well as Latias helping them out, and Pikachu wandering around the living room.

His sudden entrance captured the attention of all of them. Bianca and Latias looked up at him, and Latias promptly turned red, recollecting everything that happened last night and her embarrassing request.

Lorenzo was the first one to speak. "Oh Ash, you came just in time for breakfast. Take a seat."

"You guys weren't worried I'd been gone for so long?" Ash asked, walking over to the kitchen and sitting himself down.

"No," Lorenzo chuckled. "I kinda figured you might be up and about early in the morning, so we just got started on breakfast without you."

Ash breathed a sigh of relief, happy to hear his absence hadn't caused them any unnecessary stress, but he would somehow need to tell them about the previous events.

Lorenzo and Bianca then each took turns setting down the prepared breakfast dishes, which were now sprawled across the table. Eggs, pancakes, bacon, waffles, crepes, orange juice, all caught the eye of the Guardian, a little drool beginning to run down the side of his face.

Lorenzo chuckled, noticing the boy's fixated look on the fresh served food, Latias also taking notice and giggling in response.

Once everyone had been seated, they all dug into the amazing breakfast feast, the recent memory of Latios still kept clearly in Ash's mind.

* * *

"Wow, I've never felt so full before!" Ash exclaimed in satisfaction, stretching in his seat a bit. "Thank you guys for the amazing breakfast!"

Lorenzo and Bianca both smiled, and nodded to show their thanks.

"So what do you have planned for today, Ash?" Lorenzo asked in curiosity, earning an unsure look.

"I'm not really sure to be honest. Isn't the Tour De Altomare held every year?" Ash asked, thoughtfully, the memorable event coming to mind.

"Why, yes, I believe so," Lorenzo replied. "I do think it is being held later today actually...so you might be a little late on preparation. Do you still plan on training hard for it again this year?"

"Oh...well that's alright, I'm not particularly going to train hard for it this year anyway," He answered. "I am here on vacation after all, and don't wish to keep pushing my Pokemon. They do deserve their breaks every once in a while, but I still do plan on participating," he answered with full confidence.

Pikachu breathed a comic sigh of relief. The yellow rodent knew his master pushed his Pokemon quite a bit to become stronger, but knew it was all in good doing, and that he cared for them all like his own family.

The older man nodded in respect to the boy's decision. "I did hear there was a strong line up of competitors and the champion of last year is also competing," He warned.

"Who is the champion?" Ash asked curiously.

"I'm not sure, actually. Bianca and I personally don't really follow the stats of every year's races, so we don't have much clue who last year's champ is. But either way, we'll be wishing you good luck."

"Thanks, Lorenzo," Ash smiled, ending with the thought of Latios still stuck in his head. He knew he would have to spill it eventually, but now seemed like such an awkward and off time to do so. 'Best to just say it now and get it off my chest.'

As he opened his mouth to speak again, Pikachu ran up to him almost on cue in an unexpected fashion. _"Hey, Ash who are you using for the race?"_

"I've got something up my sleeve Pikachu, don't worry," He answered casually, causing everyone around him to appear almost completely taken aback.

Pikachu appeared to be extremely surprised himself. Usually Ash wasn't able to tell what he was saying right off of the bat. Sure he was able to get a fair understanding, but his question seemed to get across to him so easily. Maybe he was just doubting his master's intelligence and abilities.

_"Are you alright, Ash?" _Pikachu asked this time more slowly, truly beginning to freak out now. Everyone else remained quiet, just watching human and Pokemon converse. While everything the Guardian had been saying was understandable and clear, Bianca or Lorenzo couldn't get a basic understanding of what Pikachu was trying to say.

"Yes, I'm fine, Pikachu. Why?" Ash replied nonchalantly, causing his companion to fall flat on his back in astonishment.

_"Ash...since when have you been able to understand Pokespeech so well?" _Latias cut in, asking only to earn a sigh in response.

"It's a long story, but I'll explain soon," Ash answered, everyone seeming to be satisfied with his response.

"How about we go to the garden and discuss this? Your Pokemon can wander around again and we can all have a small picnic," Lorenzo suggested.

Agreeing to the older man's idea, everyone nodded, and began doing their preparations.

* * *

"So you're saying that the Soul Dew was active, and it was trying to bring you to the Garden?" Lorenzo asked carefully for clarification.

Ash nodded, his back leant against the tree they had all been sitting underneath. Bianca, Lorenzo, and Latias all sat near him. Bianca and Lorenzo on opposite sides of him, while Latias in Pokemon form, laid and rested her head over the boy's lap.

The three of them continued listening intently to his story, as Ash recalled every minute detail he could think of, and talked about his memory of seeing Latios. Everyone was glad to hear once again from the savior of their city, close friend, and brother, but his memory had unfortunately brought back old wounds, sending them into occasional tears.

"So that's how you've gained the ability to comprehend Pokespeech. Latios wanted to thank you, so he granted you this gift," Lorenzo once again repeated for clarification.

Ash nodded, Bianca immediately and almost rashly cutting in. "So there wasn't any way that you could've brought him back?" She asked a bit teary eyed.

The teenager shook his head sadly. "Latios said there was no other way. I really wish I could've done something, but he already made it clear that he was long gone. My power wouldn't have been enough to revive him either way, and it could only end badly in destroying myself. It's very dangerous to use your aura to bring back the dead, especially if they've been gone for long periods of time."

_"I still miss him," _Latias said sadly, Ash rubbing her head gently for comfort.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry everyone," The Guardian responded, directing it towards the entire group.

"It's fine, Ash. Really," Bianca replied. "I don't think Latios would want us to feel this much grief and suffering anyway. Let's just be glad that we got the chance to hear from him once again."

Ash nodded, completely agreeing. Lorenzo, in hopes of lightening the mood a bit, changed the topic. "So, Ash I am still wondering," The older man trailed off, gazing as the boy's team wandered around the garden, each doing their own thing. "I noticed that you have no water Pokemon with you. How are you going to be able to compete in a water race?"

"I do have something up my sleeve," He grinned. "I'm sure you'll be surprised with what some of my team members are capable of."

Lorenzo and Bianca glanced at each other momentarily and shrugged, not sure, but eager to see what their friend had planned. "Well whatever it is, we can't wait to see how well you do. Some people even take months ahead of time to train for this particular event."

"Wait, you said it was today? What time will it be held?" He asked cautiously.

"I believe a few hours maybe..." Lorenzo replied. "Again, sorry for the lack of time to prepare and such."

"No worries. I'll just have to wait and see how everything goes for myself, then," Ash replied confidently, just as Bianca was bringing out the prepared picnic basket.

"Still hungry, Ash?" Bianca asked him, opening the lid to reach in for its contents.

As if on cue, the boys stomach rumbled hungrily, placing an extremely flustered look over his face. "Haha..." He chuckled nervously, a hand over his stomach. "I guess I can still eat."

_"We just had breakfast though!" _Latias teased from below, still resting on his lap, earning some lighthearted laughs from the group.

Ash laughed along as well, taking the sandwich he had been offered by Bianca.

Just as he was about to take a bite from it, Latias slung forward, grabbing the entire sandwich by her mouth and began gobbling it all up.

"..That was good," Latias smiled, earning a childish frown from the Guardian. "That was supposed to be mine.." He sighed.

"Haha, don't worry," Bianca laughed. "We have a lot more yummy stuff in here. I'm sure you can at least find something before Latias eats it all."

Just as Ash was handed another food item, he quickly snatched it. He made sure to keep a close eye on the legendary thief, who only looked up at him with huge innocent eyes, acting unsure of what it was she was doing.

Feeling safe it wouldn't happen again, Ash boldly raised the food to his mouth, closing his eyes and attempting to take a bite, but only seemed to come into contact with empty space.

Quickly opening his eyes and looking down at the Pokemon below him, he was discouraged to find his food levitating out of his hand and gobbled up immediately by the dragoness.

"Aww...I was actually looking forward to eating that one!" Ash whined helplessly, earning more laughs from his small audience.

_"You have to be a lot quicker than that, Guardian," _Latias giggled, getting up and sticking her tongue out at him.

Before he even had time to react, his hat had been stolen once again by the infamous thief. He immediately found himself darting after the Legendary, seeming to hear his hat's cries for help.

* * *

After their short break of eating, playing, and conversing at the Secret Garden, the group headed out as it was nearing the time of the annual water race. Even without any prior training for the event, Ash was still feeling quite assured he would do well. He trusted his Pokemon's abilities and the amount of time they had spent in general to achieve the closest they could to perfection.

Ash, Bianca, and Lorenzo were currently walking through the city in direction of the event, while Latias flew close by under invisibility. The streets were now growing quite crowded, as spectators and competitors were all headed in the same direction.

"Wow, I'd never thought it would get so crowded like this for the event," Bianca brought up, looking around and observing the large groups of people.

"Well it is a pretty big deal here in Altomare. The amount of people gathering here is pretty much expected," Lorenzo added.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The annual Tour De Altomare has finally come around! Participants, please select your Pokemon of choice to compete in the race, and set your remaining balls over in the bins on the desk. We apologize in advance for any inconveniences, but this is mainly to ensure the fair usage of only your selected Pokemon during the competition. We thank you all for your patience! Enjoy the race!" The announcer spoke loudly through the mic.

'Hmm...so we're not allowed to carry around our other Pokeballs...' Ash thought to himself. 'Sure there's two guards guarding the desk of the Pokemon, but any reasonable thief can sneak one unnoticed. I don't quite trust this...'

In compliance to the strict rules, every participant placed their Pokeballs within the dedicated bins. Some were hesitant to the rule at first, but still obeyed nonetheless.

Grasping his own Pokeballs, Ash withdrew every one of his party members and placed them in the bin.

"Hey, Bianca, Lorenzo. Could you guys do me the favor of watching the Pikachu while I'm competing?" He asked politely.

"Of course Ash, good luck out there. I know you can do it," Bianca replied with a thumbs up.

_"Show em' what you're made of!" _Pikachu added on.

"Thanks Bianca. And I will Pikachu! See you guys soon!" Ash responded, jogging over to the starting line. Both Bianca and Lorenzo, almost forgetting, but remembering Ash's new ability to understand Pokespeech.

* * *

Now nearing the starting line, many water chariots sat peacefully in the cold water, waiting for the participants to occupy them. By the looks of it, there were many more than when he had last competed. Easily reaching past two dozen this time around.

Looking around at his opponents, none seemed too particularly threatening or extremely experienced enough to cause him any trouble during the race. Not that he was being judgemental, it was only a gut feeling, partially due to instinctively picking up the other's auras.

Stepping into one of the chariots, he reached for his belt to pick his chosen Pokemon, but he froze. Something seemed way too familiar to his liking and it was quite close to him. Some sort of strange and fiery aura suddenly began to surround him.

He looked up, and watched as a girl stepped into the chariot beside his. She seemed to be around his age, maybe passing him a few years, and she had hair held into a side pony tail, which immediately sparked something in his head.

'Is that...'

'Misty?' He thought to himself momentarily. "Misty," The Guardian said, this time aloud.

The girl looked over at him, appearing to be extremely confused, and looking at him as if he were crazy. "Uh...how do you...know my name?" She muttered extremely surprised and taken aback. Who in Arceus' name is this!

"Misty! You don't know? It's me, Ash!" He replied, removing his hat and brushing his hair to the side so she could get a better look at him.

"Ash...Ketchum! Is that really you?" Misty gawked, not at all expecting to see her long time friend here in Altomare. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing!" The teenager retaliated, just as astounded, placing his hat back to its original place.

"To maintain my title as champion, of course!" She answered proudly.

"Oh, so you're the champion of last year's race..." The Guardian now beginning to realize. "Well I'm here to compete as well, but don't think I'll be going easy on you!"

Misty smiled. It really was nice getting to see Ash again. After all, they hadn't been in contact that much for years. His new look, however took her completely off guard. No longer did he look like his younger self. His entire outfit had changed, he had grown much taller, more mature looking, and of course, extremely handsome.

From what she could initially tell, his childish and sometimes overconfident demeanor hadn't changed one bit. Not that it was a problem. It was what made Ash...well, Ash."

"Well I won't be going easy on you either, Ash Ketchum. Once we're done with this race, you have a lot of explaining to do! All of your friends have been wondering where you've been! We've missed you so much."

Ash sighed. He knew she was right. It was a bit selfish of him to close off his ties to his friends in hopes of reaching his goals and dreams. Now that he actually met one of his close friends face to face, he really began to feel bad about it.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. I promise afterwards we can talk, catch up, and everything. Sounds good?"

Misty nodded, feeling slightly guilty for ruining the mood of their reunion, but knew she had the right to act in such a way towards a friend who practically disappeared from her life.

"...Alright ladies and gentlemen! It seems that all of the participants are now ready to go in their water chariots. Please withdraw your Pokemon of choice!" The announcer instructed.

Ash, Misty, and the other competitors did as they were told, everyone sending out their racers. Misty had chosen her reliable and quick Corsola, while Ash withdrew a questionable Pokemon for this particular situation.

"Um...Ash? You do know this is a water race, right?" Misty asked sarcastically. "Where is your water Pokemon?"

The teenager smirked. "You'll see," He replied, but Misty could immediately see what he was up to.

"Ditto! Transform!" Ash commanded to his purple blob companion.

_"Of course Ash!" _Ditto complied, understood clearly by Ash.

By now, a blinding white light took over Ditto's form, capturing the attention of several of the other participants, even a good amount in the spectator's area, where Bianca and Lorenzo were currently at.

"Ah...so that's what Ash was planning. I should've known..." Lorenzo remarked, impressed Ash had come up with that one.

"Is that even allowed?" Bianca questioned, not ever hearing about a non water type competing.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be. It is in the decision of the trainer to send out who they wish," her grandfather answered. "Let's just see how well Ditto can do against others who've actually prepared for the race."

Back over with the competitors, the light from Ash's chariot had eventually died down, and in place of Ditto, another Corsola was present.

"Hey! Why do you have to transform into Corsola!" Misty pouted, not too pleased that he had chosen her own Pokemon to mimic.

"I'm not sure. Why not?" Ash laughed. "Good luck, Misty."

The orange haired girl sighed, a bit annoyed, but began making minor final adjustments to the Pokemon harness and chariot, as did everyone else.

Once the competitors were all ready and in position, the announcer gave the go.

* * *

**...**

**Well there we have it. Chapter 5 is finally done! One of my more lengthy chapters with nothing too serious yet, but I promise you! For the thousandth time that it will pick up in pace eventually. The next few chapters will really start to get interesting!**

**Now I admit, a lot of laziness contributed to actually finding time to sit down and finish this particular chapter, but after hearing the nice feedback and surprising number of follows/favs, I thought you all deserved a new read after so long. Besides a lot of new ideas stirred up during my time away.**

**Anyways, I just really want to say thank you to everyone and I hope you all stick around again for next time.**

**R&amp;R!**


	6. Chapter 6

**After nearly 10 months, I have finally returned from the dead. Now, I realize I say this far too often, but I'm really sorry for the unexpected hiatus. School had been my top priority and I never really had much time to getting any writing done. I'm glad to say that I did wind up with the grades I wanted, and am now on summer break!**

** I'll try to squeeze in as many chapters as I can, so expect some more good content coming up! Thank you to everyone who waited so patiently for this next chapter. Enjoy, R&amp;R, all that good stuff! Your thoughts are always greatly appreciated!**

_"Italicized words in quotes" = Pokespeech or Telepathy_

'Single quotations' = Thoughts

* * *

Last Time:

_Back over with the competitors, the light from Ash's chariot had eventually died down, and in place of Ditto, another Corsola was present._

_"Hey! Why do you have to transform into Corsola!" Misty pouted, not too pleased that he had chosen her own Pokemon to mimic._

_"I'm not sure. Why not?" Ash laughed. "Good luck, Misty."_

_The orange haired girl sighed, a bit annoyed, but began making minor final adjustments to the Pokemon harness and chariot, as did everyone else._

_Once the competitors were all ready and in position, the announcer gave the go._

* * *

**_Chapter 6_**

* * *

Things grew hot and heavy as the race continued. Each of the competitors did their absolute best to pass one another and make it to the front, while also keeping others from passing them as well. It was most certainly difficult to predict who would be the victor of this race. Everything seemed far too close to make any definite judgements.

Taking the lead in first place was none other than last year's champion herself, Misty, with Ash trailing right behind her, not too far off himself. Peering over her shoulder, Misty was surprised to see her old friend doing so well. Ash immediately shot a competitive smirk back at her, causing her to chuckle a bit. Despite his competitive nature, Misty knew she couldn't lose. After all, water Pokemon and races were her speciality!

Ash, on the other hand, did his best in trying to pass his friend, but he could tell his lack of training for these kinds of things were putting him at a clear disadvantage. His Ditto, transformed as Misty's Corsola tried its hardest as well, pushing its own body beyond the limit, but struggled to reach first place.

Just then, Misty had passed the starting line once again, followed by Ash, and then the other competitors one by one. There were only two more laps now. As things were drawing a close, the audience grew anxious at witnessing the event. Some had placed bets, predicting who the winner would be, while others had their own personal competitor they were rooting for.

A bit afar, Lorenzo, Bianca, as well as Pikachu watched the race intently. They were a bit torn with who to root for, as both Ash and Misty were both such great friends. Both Bianca and Lorenzo were a tad surprised seeing Misty being the champion. They figured they'd end up seeing her around town from last year, but it seems like they had unfortunately missed the opportunity. They hadn't taken the time to stay and watch a race since Ash's return.

In the end, the group did hope the best for both of their friends. Latias, too, watched the race from above, having the advantage of flying around the track to get a better look at the race.

After several minutes, the competitors had passed the starting point once again. Misty was still going strong in first place, with Ash slacking a few inches behind her.

'Misty sure has improved her own abilities as well,' Ash thought to himself. 'Judging with how things are going now, I can't win. There doesn't seem to be an easy way around her.'

Now onto their last lap, each participant zoomed through the rather shallow water beneath them with such speed and skill. Ash and Ditto began to show some signs of weariness, causing them to drag behind a bit. Misty continued to maintain her speed, giving this final lap her best effort.

"Come on, Ditto. We've got this! Just a little bit more!" Ash called out to his Pokemon. His Pokemon complied, swimming a little bit harder in response to his Master's encouragement. Just as someone was about to pass him from behind, Ash's chariot was propelled and seemingly pushed with twice as much speed as they had currently performed. The Guardian went a bit wide eyed at this sudden occurrence from a seemingly unknown force.

Everyone was beyond shocked at the boy's sudden comeback. In their perspective, it seemed like a miracle. It was almost as if he was destined to win this.

"Amazing! And just when things were looking unfavorable upon our competitor, Ash Ketchum, he seems to be taking the lead!" The announcer called out, evoking a roar of cheers from the audience.

Misty gasped, as she watched none other than Ash himself pass her, and make his way to the front. 'How was he able to pull this off all of a sudden like this?!' Misty questioned herself, flabbergasted.

Ash had a clear idea of what was responsible for this sudden assistance, but he couldn't think about that now. He had a race to finish. A little less than a mile remained of the course, and things were drawing a close. Many witnessing the event shouted out final encouragements to the racers, as they edged closer and closer to the finish line.

"Corsola, just a little bit more, we're almost there!" Misty yelled out in her last efforts to motivate her Pokemon. "We can't let him win that easily!"

Everyone in the race pushed so hard, but it was now more clear to everyone that this race was now solely between Ash and Misty. Everyone else trailed a little ways behind the two teenagers, having at least a few feet of a gap between them.

Ash gritted his teeth, as he neared the finish line. An experience like this was nearly as exciting as Pokemon battles. The amount of intensity and how quick and unexpected events could occur thrilled him. His adrenaline went wild and he really enjoyed it.

Just then, one by one, each of the racers began to pass the line.

"Wow! It seems as if we now have our winner!" The announcer spoke through his microphone, as the first chariot crossed the line, followed by the others. "Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town has claimed first place and will be named this year's Tour De Altomare Champion! For this year's runner up, we have Misty from Cerulean City! I want to say a final fantastic job to the other contestants, as this has to be one of the closest races yet!"

Each of the contestants exited their respective chariots, and called back their water Pokemon, making sure to thank them for all of their hard efforts. Presented to Ash by the announcer was none other than his prize for winning. It was a beautiful, transparent medal depicting the legendary Pokemon Latias and Latios. Ash accepted it with appreciation, placing the straps over his hat and head, allowing the pendant to hang freely over his chest. Misty watched a bit from a distance, letting out a small sigh as her title was taken away from her.

"Great job, Ditto! I appreciate all of your hard work out there," Ash directly thanked his Pokemon, as he pulled out his Pokeball to withdraw his companion. As he was about to walk over and retrieve the rest of his party members, he was stopped by a nonchalant voice.

"That was quite a race back there," Misty simply stated, making her way towards Ash.

Ash grinned in response, walking over towards his old friend himself, bringing her in for a prolonged hug. Misty accepted his embrace and tightened her arms around his body.

"It's been way too long, Ash Ketchum. How long has it even been? Four, five, six years?" Misty thought out loud, as the two separated from one another.

"I'd say closer to six years...," Ash replied thoughtfully. "Hey, I was just about to get the rest of my Pokemon. We can catch up sometime later," The boy stated. He knew Misty probably had a lot of questions and comments for him regarding his long time away.

Misty seemed to have no protests with Ash's suggestion, as long as she would get some answers. As he suspected, she was inwardly filled with bursts of curiosity and surprise at finally being able to see her old friend again. And here at Altomare of all places she could have imagined. "Yeah, ok. I was just about to do the same. I'll come with you then," She declared, walking alongside the Guardian.

The duo brushed their way pasts the crowd of citizens, who most immediately recognized them as being the first and second place winners of the race. After hearing several congratulations and compliments towards the both of them, they finally made their way over to the dedicated bins, which held each of the contestant's remaining Pokemon.

Ash reached in, claiming his companions, while Misty followed suite.

'I'm a bit surprised nothing had happened to them. Maybe I was just overthinking things,' Ash thought to himself, as he clipped the five Pokeballs to his belt. He had a slightly disturbed gut feeling, but decided to brush it off. Everything seemed to be normal for now anyways.

Ash and Misty then both made their way to reunite with Bianca, Lorenzo, and Pikachu.

The two continued walking down the cobblestone path, and could gradually see their friends come into clear view. Bianca, Lorenzo, as well as Pikachu waved over to them, assuring they would get their attention.

"Hey, you two. Great job out there! That was an amazing race to watch," Bianca remarked, proud that both of her friends were able to perform so well.

Lorenzo nodded in response. "I'll say. I never knew you were that good of a racer, Ash. That was quite something out there."

_"Yeah! Great job, guys!" _Pikachu exclaimed excitedly, which was only clearly understood by his trainer.

"Thanks," Ash laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He knew his victory wasn't completely earned by him. The Guardian figured his final burst of redemption was due to a certain culprit. A certain legendary that is.

"And same to you too, Misty. Great job out there," Lorenzo finally added as he brought Misty in for a brief hug.

"Thanks, Lorenzo. It's been a while since I've actually been able to see you guys," The water Pokemon trainer responded, as she separated from the embrace. Her and Bianca also greeted one another with a brief hug.

"Yeah, we were surprised to find out you were the champion from last year. We figured we would've at least seen you if you'd shown up," Bianca remarked.

"I know, I'm sorry. Things were getting busy over at the Gym, so I didn't have much time to stay in Altomare. Not to mention that my primary focus was to win the race," The orange hair girl explained apologetically. She felt bad that she forgot to at least stop by and say hello.

_"Pika chu!" _Pikachu greeted, looking up at the girl with a genuine smile. Of course, he too hadn't seen one of Ash's longtime friends in ages.

Misty giggled, kneeling over to pet Pikachu who gazed up at her. "And of course, I haven't forgotten about you, Pikachu."

Pikachu cooed in delight at the pleasurable sensation, as Misty's delicate fingers ran softly across the top of his head.

"Oh yeah, is Latias still around? Doesn't she normally hang around you guys?" Misty asked, inquisitively, glancing around aimlessly.

"Yep," Bianca replied. "She wanted to see the race, so she left to watch in her Pokemon form. She'll probably show up eventually."

"Hey, Misty," Lorenzo cut in. "How about you drop by at our place? Ash is also with us for the time being, and we wouldn't mind having the extra company," The older man kindly offered.

"Wow, that's very nice of you. I'll take you up on that offer then, if you don't mind," Misty answered with a smile. She too, like Ash, found the idea of staying with friends rather than alone at the Pokemon Center much more appealing. Besides, it gave her an opportunity to catch up with her old friends, especially Ash.

"Sounds great! Let's head over there right now. We can meet up with Latias back at home too," Bianca announced to the group, but quiet enough so strangers didn't catch onto that last part. She was still rather strict when it came to her friend's safety.

Everyone wholeheartedly agreed with her, and made their way back to the household.

* * *

"Alright, everyone. Feel free to settle down and make yourselves at home," Lorenzo generously announced, as he held the front door open for the group.

Everyone obliged, welcoming themselves into the small, but cozy home. As Lorenzo went to shut the door behind him, another figure representing an identical look a like of Bianca walked over.

"Oh, look who decided to show up! Come on in, Latias," Lorenzo quickly greeted, opening the door a bit wider to let the Legendary in.

"Latias!" A feminine voice called from inside the house.

The Eon Pokemon peered over, noticing it was none other than one of her friends from way back.

_"Hello, Misty!" _Latias warmly greeted. She was also quite fond of Misty, since she too had helped save her city along with Ash and the others. Although she was arguably one of the more "aggressive" friends she knew, Latias understood it was all in her character, and she was deep down an extremely caring and responsible person.

The two gals exchanged a hug, everyone watching and smiling at yet another reunion between two good friends.

"So, anyone up for some snacks? We still have some of the leftovers we made from our picnic earlier," Bianca proposed to the group, all who currently stood in the entryway.

There couldn't have been any other better time for Ash's stomach to lightly growl at the slight mention of food, especially meals as delicious as the ones he'd experienced so far in Altomare. Now traveling on his own, he truly missed the luxury of enjoying home cooked meals or the freshly made food prepared by Brock.

"I guess I could definitely go for some food right about now," Ash laughed.

"Oh Ash," Misty comedically sighed. "Still the same food crazed, passionate, naive boy we know today."

Everyone laughed along with the Gym leader with the exception of Ash, who crossed his arms with a pout, clearly unamused by all the playful teasing he had been receiving.

* * *

"So...tell me, Ash. What exactly have you been up to these past few years? Do you know how much everyone's missed you?" Misty inquired, finally being able to interrogate the poor sixteen year old.

Everyone was now seated at the table, enjoying cups of tea as well as the various snacks and appetizers set about in front of them.

Ash exhaled a small breath of air. This was already his second time repeating himself. First to Bianca and Lorenzo, and now to Misty.

"Well to answer your question, I've kinda been all over the place, training and what not. It's a bit of a long story with all of the things that's happened," Ash truthfully admitted.

"Alright then. I'm listening, so explain," Misty leaned back comfortably in her chair, sipping her tea. Everyone else prepared themselves to pay attention as Ash rehashed his entire story.

He began to ramble on and on about his reasonings for his halted journeys and hard training, his gradual forget to regularly contact his friends, as well as filling her in on his experience as an Aura Guardian, and his new gained abilities. He took her from start to finish about all that's gone on, even letting her in on details of him being an Aura Guardian. He really felt comfortable enough to let someone as close as Misty know of everything there was to know in his personal life.

Misty was honestly beyond surprised, as she listened carefully to each and every detail Ash had to share. Not only was it shock factor at the one-eighty in the raven haired boy's character, but mostly in him deciding to become an Aura Guardian. Moreover, someone like him making the decision to completely drop his journeys to pursue and improve his and his Pokemon's skills. It really seemed as if his dedication skyrocketed and he finally decided to take things on a more serious level.

In Ash's perspective, his friend surprisingly seemed to be understanding. Even more so than what he expected her to be. He lightly pat Pikachu who slept on his trainer's lap quietly.

"I see. You really have been keeping busy. For all we knew, you could have been dead somewhere and disappeared completely," Misty half-jokingly commented.

_"I'm sure that wouldn't be the case, Misty," _Latias giggled, assuring the girl's dramatic assumptions.

"I know, Latias. But really, Ash. I don't think it be such a bad idea if you came back home and visited everyone. We've all missed you so much, you have no idea."

Ash seemed to be in deep thought. The whole idea seemed bittersweet to him. On one hand, it sounded rather nice to have a big reunion and see where the rest of his friends were at and how they've been doing. But then again, he wasn't certain, maybe even nervous of how any of his friends would react and take his lengthy disappearance. It was kind of selfish of him to cut off all ties with his friends and family. "Yeah, I know. We'll see," He simply responded, swallowing some berries off of a kabob.

_"By the way Ash,"_ Latias began. _"Good job on__ winning the race. Was my help helpful at the end?" _The legendary finally brought up, capturing Misty's attention, as well as the rest of the group. They evidently seemed to be awaiting an explanation.

Ash inwardly sighed, and began to carefully explain. "You see, Misty. My final comeback as you saw was all thanks to Latias," He admitted. "So to be honest, my win really shouldn't be considered legitimate."

Misty seemed to understand, and felt satisfied with the response. Frankly, she wasn't even bothered at all. She was in fact, glad, even a bit surprised at how Ash was able to maturely admit defeat, when he most likely just as easily could have kept his mouth shut, or made up some excuse.

The orange haired girl nodded in response to the boy's confession, her expression soon forming into a smile. "I get it, Ash. No hard feelings."

"You know, Latias. You really shouldn't be helping others in a competition like that," Bianca brought up in a disappointed motherlike fashion. "Even if they're your friends, it's still against the rules."

Latias seemed to feel bad at this point. Obviously she didn't mean anything bad by it. She just wanted to help out. The legendary was quickly reassured as Ash thanked her.

"It's ok, Latias. I really do appreciate it. It's the thought that counts," Ash smiled, getting up from his seat, careful not to wake Pikachu, and walked over to Misty.

Misty glanced up at the taller boy, and was slightly startled to see the medal from the race now being placed over her own head.

"Here, I think this should belong to you. I didn't even prepare for the race, and besides I would feel guilty having an award I didn't earn. Truth be told, you clearly would've won fair and square."

Misty placed her hand over the medal, looking down and observing it, before finally looking back up and displaying a warm smile. "Thanks, Ash," She said, grateful for the sweet gesture.

Ash smiled back. He knew it was the right thing to do.

'If only it would be this easy to return back to Kanto.'

* * *

**It's a wrap!**

** I'm so glad I finally managed to pull through and finish up this chapter. It was fun to begin writing again, but I'll admit, I've gotten rather rusty and forgot some of what had occurred in the previous chapters. I'm still getting back in the swing of things, but I did my best. Hopefully everything is still looking good. **

**Anyways, thank you so much again for sticking around and reading up to this point. **

**Until then, I'll see you all next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, everyone! I just wanted to say thank you to those who've reviewed and shared their input for the last chapter. I really do appreciate all of the kind words/criticism to help improve the story. **

**Anyways, here we go with the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it :) Also, r****ead, review, favorite, follow, you know the drill by now haha. Well then, let's continue this journey, shall we?**

_"Italicized words in quotes" = Pokespeech or Telepathy_

'Single quotations' = Thoughts

* * *

Last Time:

_Misty glanced up at the taller boy, and was slightly startled to see the medal from the race now being placed over her own head._

_"Here, I think this should belong to you. I didn't even prepare for the race, and besides I would feel guilty having an award I didn't earn. Truth be told, you clearly would've won fair and square."_

_Misty placed her hand over the medal, looking down and observing it, before finally looking back up and displaying a warm smile. "Thanks, Ash," She said, grateful for the sweet gesture._

_Ash smiled back. He knew it was the right thing to do._

_'If only it would be this easy to return back to Kanto.'_

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

* * *

After countless hours, the group's conversing had finally been drawing an end. They had spent their time catching up, sharing one another's journeys and experiences, as well as sharing laughs with one another at humorous moments that had occurred to them.

With plenty of time to think throughout the rest of the afternoon and during the evening, Ash had finally made his decision regarding revisiting Kanto. He knew it was a must after such a long time away. More importantly, he missed everyone immensely and really had been curious to see how they had all been doing.

"...Hey, you guys," Ash finally said, a bit hesitantly, but clear enough to grab everyone's attention at the table.

As mini conversations in the background were halted, all eyes were shifted onto him. Ash paused, asking himself one last time if this was truly what he wanted. After being completely sure this would be good for him, he spoke again, this time more confidently. "I've been thinking, and I've decided I want to go back to Kanto."

Upon his major announcement, everyone showed an expression of surprise, yet approval of his decision, especially Misty, who instantly broke into a grin.

"That's great, Ash! Everyone will be so happy to hear this!" The orange haired girl chirped.

She was so happy that her friend would finally come back and visit everyone. It had been far too long, and everyone had of course, missed him just as much, unable to remain in touch with him through the years.

However, there was someone at the table who had other thoughts running through their head, a legendary in particular that is. She wore a look of apprehension upon the boy's announcement. She didn't know if she could bear the feeling of loneliness once again without her favorite trainers. Their time together had been a breath of fresh air to her and she never had this much enjoyment in her life since they had arrived. She wanted to say something, but felt it wouldn't be appropriate at a time like this. Instead, she kept quiet, sighing to herself.

Ash and Misty further discussed the topic and ultimately decided on heading over to the Pokemon Center and calling Ash's mom right away to let her know of everything. She was eager to get the news out, and dragged Ash with her out of the house.

Bianca, Lorenzo, Pikachu, and Latias stayed put at home and just waited patiently for their friends to return. They hoped their plan would run smoothly since there was no telling with how things would turn out.

* * *

"Are you ready, Ash?" Misty asked softly, her attention fixed to her friend. The two of them stood directly in front of the Pokemon Center phone along with the monitor set up for public phone calls.

The Center was currently filled with several people passing by, and wandering aimlessly, but otherwise being relatively quiet during the evening.

Ash's body remained still, his gaze being set on the two items in front of him, and occasionally alternating between the two.

He nodded, doing his best to remain confident, while reminding himself it should be a good thing to finally speak to his mother again. He reached slowly for the phone before punching in each digit of his home number.

From the get-go, Ash thought of coming by himself, but Misty insisted on accompanying him. She was one to know Ash's mom and how dramatic her reactions could be sometimes. She thought it might be a little easier to calm Ash knowing he has her support with him along the way.

The two waited patiently as the phone rang. It seemed to take ages for the other end to pick up.

'What if this doesn't go well? I know how mom can be when I don't call in months, maybe a year. But for this long? Oh boy...' The teenager thought to himself, thinking of the possible outcomes for the call.

The rings had eventually subsided, and the monitor eventually flashed on, revealing a Pokemon staring right back from the other side.

_"Mime, Mime?" _

"Hey! Mr. Mime. It's me, Misty!" The girl excitedly greeted the Pokemon.

_"Mime, mime, mime!" _The Pokemon smiled, clearly recognizing the individual. Mr. Mime didn't seem to notice the other figure's identity. Ash's slanted hat seemed to cover a good portion of his face, and his eyes were slightly directed to the floor.

"Mr. Mime, could you please put Mrs. Ketchum on the line?" Misty asked politely with a bit of eagerness in the tone of her voice.

The Pokemon nodded, walking out of the screen's view.

Faint _"Mimes" _could be heard in the background, along with a vague voice in reply. Footsteps could then be heard, each second passing and they grew louder and faster along with the pulse of Ash's heart.

The boy removed his hat and set it down on the table in front of them, brushing his long hair with his fingertips to the side.

"...Hello? Who is this?" A young woman asked, bringing the phone to her ear, and coming into clear view of the screen.

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum. It's Misty, and-"

Misty paused as she saw Delia instantly go wide eyed, fumbling with the phone, and nearly dropping it several times.

"Ash Ketchum!" Delia finally exclaimed after regaining her composure. She brought the phone to her ear once more. "Where have YOU been, mister?!" She demanded, her expression growing more strict.

Ash and Misty sweat dropped. Ash's mom didn't even seem to acknowledge Misty. As soon as she saw her son, her focus immediately shifted towards him. She was feeling a wave of various emotions right now. Happiness, anger, confusion, relief, you name it.

"It's great to talk to you too, Mom," Ash chuckled, jokingly. This was no surprise to him at all.

Delia sighed. "I'm serious, Ash. Where in the world have you been? Do you know how much I've missed you? How all of your friends missed you?"

"I realize that mom," Ash replied, knowing well enough. "And I'm so sorry. I've been so caught up in all my training that I never bothered to stop and call anyone."

"Well that's still no excuse to ignore everyone," Delia reproached. Misty, on the other hand, stayed quiet and watched the interaction between mother and son unfold.

"I know it was selfish of me, but please let me explain everything later. Listen, Misty and I are planning on coming back to Kanto to pay you and everyone else a visit," Ash informed in advance, also checking to see if he had his mom's approval.

Delia nodded, it seemed like an excellent idea to her. "Yes, please come home, Ash. I'd really love to see you again, and I'm sure everyone else would too."

Ash and Misty were glad. Everything so far seemed to be going better than expected.

"Hey, I know!" Ash's mom perked up. "How about I invite everyone over at our place for a big reunion!" Delia excitedly suggested. "I think it'll be a lot more convenient that way, and can save you plenty of trips."

The two teenagers looked to each other before nodding.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty smiled. "Is it ok if we come in a few days time?" They had already talked through it and decided against paying money and taking a ferry to travel. Using their own Pokemon to fly seemed a lot simpler and cheaper.

"Yes, that's plenty of time for me to prepare. I figure it will take everyone around that amount of time to show up anyways, so that's perfect," Delia replied. "And for you young man!" She spoke sternly, wagging a finger at the screen in an all too familiar pose. Don't think you're getting off scot-free. I'm expecting answers from you!" She continued as her eyes began to soften and a smile of relief began to take over.

Ash sighed, realizing how many times he would have to repeat his lengthy story. Not only to his other friends, but to his mom as well. Well, this was expected anyways.

"I know, mom. I promise we'll talk soon. I'll see you in a few days," Ash said assuringly.

Delia nodded. "It's a miracle to finally be talking with you again, Ash. You have no clue how shocked and happy I am. But anyways, I guess this is goodbye for now. I'll call everyone to let them know you're coming. Make sure to travel safe."

The two teens nodded. "Sounds great. See you then," They both said, just as the screen went black.

"Well that could have gone a whole lot worse," Ash muttered.

Misty chuckled at the remark. "Yeah, I agree. Let's head back home, and let everyone know."

* * *

As the duo knocked on the front door, Lorenzo promptly answered, and welcomed the two back in.

"Hey guys, guess who's going back to Kanto," Ash announced enthusiastically as they stood in the entryway.

Bianca, Latias, and Pikachu all sat together on the sofa in the living room, and looked up upon hearing Ash's comment.

"That's great, Ash. So how did the call go?" Bianca asked, curiously.

"Actually, better than I thought. My mom had a bit of a reaction, but she didn't nearly flip out as badly as I'd anticipated," Ash answered.

Bianca nodded, relieved herself. "So when are you guys planning to leave?"

"We're thinking maybe first thing tomorrow morning. We're flying, so it'll take us at least a few days to get there," Misty replied. "That was the plan anyway."

"Oh, but so soon? You guys just got here though," Lorenzo cut in.

"I'm afraid so," Ash responded a bit sadly. He too was already starting to feel like he would miss them all a whole lot. Latias on the other hand, sat quietly with Pikachu. She was beginning to feel a bit glum that her favorite trainer was going to leave yet again. The two of them really did have a sort of strong and unique connection with one another.

"Well, no worries. We're just glad you guys decided to visit us. Please don't hesitate to come by at any time again. We're always happy to see old friends," Lorenzo kindly offered with a smile.

"Thank you, Lorenzo. You're always so generous to us," Ash humbly thanked the older man.

Throughout the entire conversation, Latias listened closely, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. She couldn't help but continue to feel the urge to say something. She just couldn't hold it back anymore, she just had to let them know what was on her mind.

_"Um...you guys, do you think it's possible if I could maybe come along, too?" _Latias suddenly blurted out, causing everyone to look over in her direction.

Everyone remained fairly quiet, which made Latias rather nervous. It was a bit on impulse that caused the legendary to say what she said. With the short amount of time that she was able to spend with Ash and Misty, it had felt more exciting than before. She had remembered all of the times she had to spend alone in the Garden or at home due to Lorenzo's visits to the Museum, or Bianca accompanying her grandfather or running errands on her own.

With their guests, everything didn't feel quite as lonely and boring. She knew she would have to return to her usual uneventful life as soon as the teenagers had left once again. She had a strong feeling that there was a lot more she was missing out on outside of her city, which honestly made her feel depressed at times.

"Latias? What are you saying? Aren't you happy here in Altomare?" Bianca asked, a bit confused as well as surprised her friend would suggest such a thing.

_"Well, it's just that I've been really happy lately with Ash and Misty and just the thought of them leaving again makes me really sad. Not that I dislike you guys. Not one bit, but I've always felt so lonely here."_

"Latias, you know that we're always here for you," Bianca tried to reason with the Pokemon. She wanted to make sure Latias completely understood her request. Lorenzo, himself seemed to think critically to himself, before voicing his opinion.

"You know what, Bianca?...I'm actually starting to think it might be an okay idea if we let Latias go out and explore what's out there besides Altomare for a bit. I do agree with her that she's been here for far too long."

Bianca was needless to say surprised at the ease of her grandfather's approval. "But what about the safety of the city?" She reminded in a prudent manner.

Lorenzo shook his head, his thoughts growing more firm. "I understand that you're worried, Bianca, but I think Latias deserves to at least have some stress free time from having all that responsibility. We shouldn't coop her here for the rest of her life. Besides, if you think about it, we haven't had any major incidents these past few years."

"Well, that's true, but..." Bianca trailed off. "Latias, are you sure this is really what you want?" The girl turned to her friend.

All eyes were back to Latias as she eagerly shook her head. _"Yes, I'm sure. And it's not like I won't come back either. I'll visit again when I can and as often as possible," _Latias quickly spoke, trying to assure her skeptical friend. She had always looked out for Latias and was always concerned for her safety.

Bianca looked to Lorenzo, seeking his thoughts. He simply nodded to her in response.

"I actually don't quite mind the idea. If it's what Latias really wants, then I have no objections. I think it'd be really fun to travel with her for a while," Ash finally stated, giving his consent.

Misty and Pikachu didn't object either. Her and Misty were good friends after all, and Misty wasn't really one to hate the idea of spending extra time with friends. Pikachu gave a thumbs up and a _"Pika!" _in his own response.

"Latias..." Bianca began, looking at the pleading eyes set on her by Latias. "I think... it is about time you should go out and explore the world," The girl reluctantly but finally stated, promptly receiving a tight hug from the legendary disguised as herself.

_"Thank you, Bianca! I really appreciate this. I'll make sure to keep in touch with you and visit again soon," _Latias chirped, unknowingly squeezing a bit tighter.

"Oof! N-Not so tight, Latias," Bianca managed to squeak out between struggled breaths.

Bianca sighed once the Eon had spared her. "I trust you, Ash," She eventually said, turning towards him. "If there was anyone that I would allow to accompany Latias besides myself and my granddad, it would probably be you. But I must warn you, if you let anything happen to her, I don't think I can ever forgive you," She spoke, her eyes unable to maintain eye contact. She didn't want to began thinking of the possibilities.

"Please don't worry, Bianca," Ash smiled, looking over to Latias. "I'd risk my life for her in a heartbeat," Ash said. It was his duty after all. Not only in his own moral belief to put others before himself, but for his title as an Aura Guardian. And with somebody as good of a friend as Latias, he would never in a million years hesitate to do so.

Latias smiled, turning a bit pink at the Guardian's sweet words.

"I know, I know," Bianca chuckled. "Well would you look at the time," She said, swiftly shifting the topic, and looking over at the vintage clock set about in the living room. "I think it's time we all get some rest. You guys have got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

_"Wait! Before we leave and such. I need to say a quick goodbye to Latios. Even if we can't get in contact with him, I want to pay the garden one last visit before we go," _Latias said in a restless manner.

As the request had been heard and registered, everyone nodded. They understood well enough and it made sense that the Eon would want to say a final goodbye before leaving the city for her first time.

Although it was pretty late by now, the entire group decided to make their way to the Secret Garden one final time before retiring for the night.

* * *

The group were now at their desired destination. They all kept quiet, as all of the Pokemon in the garden were currently away sleeping. They made their way through the garden and over to the fountain which contained none other than the Soul Dew.

The fountain itself remained calm, and the Soul Dew sat peacefully beneath the water.

Latias gazed intently at the item, before telepathically stating, _"Latios...I'm heading off with Ash and Misty tomorrow morning. I just wanted to pay one last visit and say my goodbye to you. I'll miss you, Bianca, and Lorenzo, but I promise I'll be back again someday," _The legendary informed, but was met with no reply. A small tear escaped the corner of her eye, before she reached up to brush it away.

The rest of the group felt sorry for her. They knew how hard everything had been for Latias. Their thoughts were abruptly interrupted as they noticed a sudden change in the Soul Dew. It seemed to be brightening at a gradual rate, before soon transforming into a blinding light, reminding Ash of his past experience with the Soul Dew.

Being engulfed in the light, Latias' form had disappeared, no sign of her presence was anywhere to be seen.

* * *

Latias had no recollection of what had just happened. Before she knew it, everything went completely black, and that was now what she was met with. Complete darkness.

_"Latias," _A clear and firm voice called out.

Glancing up, the legendary was immensely astonished with who stood before her.

_"Latios!" _She cried out, not expecting at all to actually be face to face with her brother once more. She shot forward in her Pokemon form and enveloped Latios in an embrace.

Latios flinched, not at all expecting the gesture, but smiled, returning it anyway.

_"H-How? How is this even possible?" _Latias croaked out, still evidently unbelieving any of this was even happening right now.

_"I summoned you with what power still remains with me. I could sense your guys' presence when you stepped foot in the Garden," _Latios answered.

_"So you heard everything that we said, too? What I said?" _

Latios nodded. _"I did manage to hear most of it. You're leaving with Ash and Misty," _Her brother clarified.

_"Well, yes. But I suppose you can't come back with us," _Latias said, saddened by the fact there was no way of bringing Latios back.

Latios once again nodded, affirming the girl's statement. _"I'm sorry, Latias. I'm sure Ash has told you. Trust me, if I could, I would be with you guys, but I'm afraid that's just not possible," _He said, the sadness in his tone matching his sister's.

_"We all still miss you very much," _Latias said sadly.

_"I know, sis. Just remember that I'll always be here. It takes a lot of energy to hold these meetings, so I'm afraid I'll have to be going soon. I just wanted to prove to you that I'm still here although maybe not physically."_

Latias nodded, her emotional state being cheered up thanks to the reassurance. _"I understand. Take care, brother. I'll see you soon, someday."_

_"You too, sis. I hope you have many great adventures with Ash. He's a very bright human with a whole lot of potential. I wish you all the best of luck," _Latios finally stated.

The connection between the two siblings finally began to fade, and sooner than what she would have liked, Latios' presence was gone once more.

* * *

Slowly, but surely emerging with the blinding light, Latias was returned to the real world. With the light eventually dying down, and Latias form now physically visible in her Pokemon form, everyone rushed over to her filled with questions.

Ash knew completely well of what had occurred, and Bianca and Lorenzo having a clue as well hearing about the similar situation occurring to Ash.

_"It was Latios," _Latias softly stated. _"I saw him again."_

Predictably, everyone bombarded the Pokemon with questions regarding the experience, curious to know for themselves everything that had happened. Latias shared with them every detail of the brief, but memorable occurrence.

After a long night of events having been tossed left and right, the group headed back home to get some much needed rest.

* * *

The next morning came around fairly quick, and Ash his friends were all so eager to head on their way back to Kanto.

"Latias... are you sure about all of this?" Bianca asked once more in case her friend changed her mind.

_"It's what I've been wanting for a while now," _Latias answered firmly, her and Bianca sharing a prolonged hug as well as her and Lorenzo.

The rest of the group: Ash, Misty, and Pikachu shared their own goodbyes as well with hugs to go around, before they finally opened the door to exit the household. Bianca and Lorenzo cordially followed their guests outside.

Ash reached for his belt, and grasped a hold of his Pokeball containing Charizard.

Hurling it forward, his companion was released, letting out a mighty roar in the sky, before looking down to his trainer.

"Hey, Charizard. I've got a huge favor to ask of you. I'm gonna need you to fly us over Kanto," Ash urgently requested.

Charizard was surprised himself, seeming to think to himself. They surely hadn't been back home in ages. Why now all of a sudden?

Being obedient, the dragon suppressed his curiosity, focusing only now on the task at hand. _"Sure, you got it, Ash," _Charizard replied, lowering himself for easier access to his passengers.

Ash hopped on, followed by Misty sitting directly behind him.

"Hey, Latias. Are you going to fly with us or on your own?" The teenager asked curiously.

_"Oh, I think, I'll just fly by myself. I don't think Charizard would prefer carrying the extra weight, anyway," _Latias replied.

Ash nodded, and Charizard sighed a breath of relief. The legendary sure knew exactly what he was thinking.

Latias, turned once more to her friends, Bianca and Lorenzo, a few tears beginning to flow from her eyes. Her sadness was intensified by the fact that she was now leaving her best friends behind. Aside from the fact that her life was rather uneventful, she was no doubt going to long to see those two again. It was, however a good thing for her to be leaving for a little while. This was a new chapter in her life that she was definitely willing to take.

Sharing last minute goodbyes and waves over at each of her friends, Latias transformed into her Pokemon form, readying herself for the journey to Kanto.

Now that everything was taken care of, the group set off.

* * *

Over the duration of the next few days, everything remained rather unexciting. The group had stopped occasionally in open areas and camped during the nights to get their sleep, while also enjoying one another's company. Ash would release his Pokemon to get some fresh air, play, and get acquainted with Latias. Ash and Misty were able to spend a huge amount of their time talking and bonding more with one another to kill the boredom.

After what seemed to be a quite a while, they had finally made it to Pallet Town.

Hopping off of Charizard, Ash took a good look at what was now his hometown after so many years.

"Everything still looks the same," The boy chuckled, glancing around the area. He could still see all of the homes in the neighborhood, as well as Professor Oak's lab in the distance. "The view sure does grow on you, though."

Misty followed Ash's lead, and leaped from the orange dragon, Ash returning Charizard as soon as she had done so.

_"So this is your hometown," _Latias remarked, looking around, beginning to transform into her human form.

Ash nodded. "Hey, Latias. You still remember what we talked about, right?"

Latias nodded in response. Ash as well as Misty had thought it would be best if Latias remained unknown to be a Legendary at least for now. It was just to be on the safe side in case the news that a Legendary in the house seemed to be a bit overwhelming to their visitors. They would explain Latias' identity eventually to everyone once everyone was settled down. It just felt a bit too over the top. They'd be sure announce it to everyone once the time was appropriate.

Latias agreed on pretending to be mute and utilizing sign language, while Ash "translated" whatever he telepathically received from her. It seemed to be a legit enough plan anyway.

Everyone made their way back to the Ketchum Residence in curiosity to who would be showing up to the reunion.

Stepping up to the front door, Ash slowly reached for the doorbell and pushed it, hearing the ring echo from inside the house.

After a little while, the door opened to reveal a tall, familiar looking young man. "Ash, Misty?"

"Hey there, Brock," Ash grinned. "It's been a while."

_"Pika!" _Pikachu greeted happily from Ash's shoulder.

The two friends brought each other in for a hug, Brock patting his friend's back firmly.

"Hiya, Misty. Good to see you too," Brock looked over at the other familiar face, glad to see she had shown up as well. It had been a while since he had last seen her, too, but not nearly as long as Ash.

"Same to you, Brock," Misty warmly smiled as well.

Brock's attention was then fixed to the other girl, who remained quiet.

"Hey! Wait a minute, aren't you..." Brock trailed off, rubbing his chin, and furrowing his eyebrows. He knew he remembered her from somewhere, but just couldn't place his finger on it.

"It's Latias," Ash reminded his friend, the Eon giving a small wave. "We were in Altomare, and she decided to come along with us. Could you please do us a huge favor and not mention who she is to everyone? I think I'm just worried the news might be a little much for everyone. I'd like to explain everything, including my story and whereabouts to everyone all at once, rather than in chunks to people individually," Ash requested, preferring to save as much of his energy for today.

Brock shrugged, not particularly caring too much. "Yeah, sure. I can understand that."

"Thanks, Brock," Ash sighed, thankfully. "So, what's going on? Is everybody here yet?" He asked curiously, attempting to take a peek past the older boy.

"Yep, everyone's here. Come on in and see for yourself. Everyone's just dying to see you again," Brock said, stepping aside.

Ash, as well as the others complied. They set foot in the home, and made their way inside, looking to see whatever awaited them on the other side.

* * *

**Another chapter finished! I think I'm starting to get somewhat back into the groove of writing. I've been having a blast with it, and working super hard. Hopefully it's all up to par, I always try my best.**

**Anyways, I'm sad to say but, this is all for now folks. Do make sure to stay tuned for what happens next chapter! Feel free to drop me a review and let me know what ya think.**

**Peace!**


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